Ten Flames
by Hweianime
Summary: Meet Sawada Tsunayoshi From a young age it was obvious how different he was to his twin Ieyasu- he's quiet, loves to read and is always observing. Follow him on his own adventures where he meets many strange people
1. Chapter 1

**Hello- well this is my first KHR fic (gah nervous)**

**Anyone expecting an update for my ****current stuff I am SO sorry! (Don't kill me please)**

**I have really been wanting to do this for while now and I dunno I have just GRADUATED (woot woot) and so I was like 'might as well huh?'**

**Anyway I hope anyone who reads this enjoys and tell me their opinions etc**

**I will still be working on my Eyeshield stuff but my motivation and inspiration is like 0.1% **

**Btw don't own KHR (obviously), OC Tsuna, twins (though it won't be in great detail for now), multi-flame Tsuna (cuz if Gokudera could do it of course his Juudaime can!) and Tsuna-centric**

**And also Enma and his gang don't really exist in this world (soz)**

**Anyway enjoy~**

Chapter 1- A talent for words, A magic book and how it all began

Sawada Tsunayoshi did not cry when he was born unlike his twin Sawada Ieyasu. He merely blinked at the world and observed his surroundings with his big brown eyes. The doctors and nurses shivered, it was unnatural. Iemitsu though didn't show it was also worried about his child's reaction. So they ignored the silent child choosing to focus on the other. Only Nana cooed and cried in joy at her neglected newborn who was obviously a special individual.

When he was eight months old the brunette had read all the nursery books and fairytale stories in his room, not that anyone knew. Anybody who watched the baby just thought he was a quiet child who liked looking at the pretty pictures in the books, in their minds their was no way someone so young could walk or talk let alone comprehend words. But Tsuna could, he listened and observed the sounds that came out of the larger people's mouths, their reactions, their tone and something just clicked. If the boy himself could speak at this age he would have called it a feeling, if he was older he would call it intuition.

He was too quiet for a young baby, always looking at things, observing them as if picking out every little thing that made a person, unraveling them, exposing their true masks. It was paranoia everyone assures themselves but they couldn't deny that a small part of them in some level feared the brunette, no matter how adorable he looked. Tsuna sensed the distance between himself and the others but he didn't really care, all he needed was his mama after all. The blonde haired man who the baby associated as a father was there for the first few months but the man kept disappearing for long periods of time. He decided he didn't like these so called fathers that much.

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><p>Tsuna was eleven months old when his father came to the house again. A lot of squeals and mushy sounds came from his mama who was currently cuddling his unfortunate twin. Something told him to crawl back to his room to avoid the scene. As he began his long journey from the living room to his own he noticed one of the planks parts was slightly creaky and wobbly. It had only been recently since he had gained the ability to crawl so the brunette had not been able to fully explore the thing beneath him known as a floor. Curiously he began playing with the broken plank with his little hands finding that if he twisted and pulled a certain way with all his tiny strength he could muster the plank could be moved. Under the piece of wood was a small book. Tsuna's large honeyed eyes lit up, sparkling like fairy lights on Christmas Day. The book was old, dusty and leather bound though if one was observant which Tsuna was one could noticed the linings of gold ink and intricate designs. In short to a child's mind it looked like a very mysterious fantastical book which screamed promises of adventure. Swifter than any boy of his age should be able to go the brunette snatched the book and rolled to his room. (rolling was much faster than crawling after all, especially when holding something that requires both hands) shutting the door behind him Tsuna wasted no time to open his new treasure greedily soaking up what he had to offer.<p>

It seemed to be some sort of guide and with small hands he traced over the golden lettering that greeted him on the first page.

_Vongola_

A shiver went down the child's spine, something was telling him that this book was going to change him in some way. Flipping through he glimpsed many illustrations beautifully embedded into the pages. The child was entranced by the pictures of flames, rings and their powers. To the child's mind he had concluded excitedly that this was not just any book but a magic one! However the writing was all foreign to the boy, just squiggly lines to him and it frustrated Tsuna that he couldn't understand, couldn't learn the magic in the squiggles. Before he could try to decode the strange letters he suddenly sensed a growing presence coming toward the room despite the almost non existent thumps of steps. With a small sigh and a cute pout the gravity defying haired boy hid his precious magic book among his fairytales. Satisfied that it had been successfully disguised he turned toward the door just as the blonde man known as father came through.

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><p>Iemitsu shuddered as he felt his son's eyes stare into him, it was like the boy could see right through the man who hid so much from his family and silently he wished he was still by his beloved Nana and Yasu-chan. Frankly this twin creeped him out a bit, another reason he didn't come home often. Quickly he brushed the unexplainable feeling away and pulled on a large goofy smile. "Hey my little tuna fish! Aren't you still the cutest baby ever~" Tsuna tried not to look disgusted at the strange cooing of the large man, he knew this father made mama happy and so in order for him to come more he had to act... cute. The brunette decided to copy the blonde's goofy grin as he rolled on the ground like a little puppy, stopping to lie on his back and clap cheerily. The cuteness overload was undeniable and Iemitsu despite being able to remain cautious and ever aware in any situation simply melted at the sight throwing out any suspicions or doubts he had on his adorably innocent son. "You really are soo cute my little tuna fish! I could just eat you up!"<p>

This definitely stiffened the child up. He didn't want to get eaten! He hadn't even got to unlock the secrets to his magic book! Tears started filling the baby's large eyes in fear. Realizing his mistake the blonde did what any father who barely saw his children do. He panicked.

"No, I mean, ah don't cry, shhhhh when I meant eat I mean, ah god please stop... Non piangere bambino.."

The tears that fell were wiped away as the brunette looked at the father in confusion. He had never heard these words before. That feeling inside him told was telling him this was important. Tilting his head to emphasize his questioning gaze he tugged at the larger male's clothes. Iemitsu blinked at the sudden change in attitude.

"You like it when I speak Italian?"

Tsuna didn't know what this Italian thing was but if it meant knowing more about the strange words he would accept. The boy gurgled and nodded his head like he'd seen others do in approval. That seemed to brighten up the previously distraught man. Grabbing a piece of paper he began writing the words he'd spoken before and showed it to his son who took a small intake of breath. It had the same squiggly patterns like in the book!

"See these words- Non piangere means don't cry and Bambino means baby." The blonde man felt a bit silly teaching a boy who couldn't even speak these things but the embarrassment soon washed away when said child began clapping her a hands and giggling as if enjoying the lesson. Excited to bring such a strong happy reaction to what he deemed an almost emotionally dead child he began teaching more words not really thinking the child would actually absorb them. Words to do with Iemitsu's work.

Mafia words.

By the end of the day the blonde CEDEF boss had to leave his family once again. Iemitsu's perspective on his youngest changed ever so slightly after the visit, he still regarded Ieyasu more highly but now he was willing to dismiss his stupid notions and paranoia of the other. Ignore the underlying glint in those big brown eyes that suggested that the boy knew more than he let on, no Tsuna was just an average though quiet child. That is all he will believe. All he would allow himself to.

Tsuna watched the blonde man leave, he heard his brother crying and his mama comforting him. Quickly he shut his door and brought out his magic book. As he flipped through the pages he compared the words to the ones given to him by his father. The brunette excitedly recognized and matched some words to the book; words like mafia, flames, fighting and more. Apparently the magic book was coded in something called Italian. Learning this language will allow him to learn the books secrets and he suspected even more. Unknowingly a flash of orange flickered in his brown determined eyes.

* * *

><p>When Tsuna was one and a half he had learnt enough of Italian and some English to roughly understand the concepts of his magic book. He had also began trying out the process known as talking with mixed results. As he traced the words from his magic book he tried to sound them out.<p>

"Tu-ra-ning ees em-port-ent fo ba~su o flams." The small toddler gasped out of breath. He grunted cutely in annoyance. He hated how it was so clear in his mind yet his body failed to reflect it! Either way he had discovered to earn his magical powers known as Flames he had many steps to follow but mainly he had to be strong physically and be able to have an even stronger will. But how to get stronger?

* * *

><p>"Mama."<p>

Nana Sawada turned from her cooking to look at her oldest son. Unlike the youngest who had gravity defying brown hair and took to the appearance of herself, Ieyasu looked more like his father with short blonde hair and blue eyes. Ieyasu was also much, _much_ louder than his brother and so had taken more to the art of talking.

"Yes Yasu-kun?"

"Tsu crawling here gain."

Nana sighed. Tsuna was definitely a strange child she had to admit after all this time. This was the third day the young child had begun a strange routine. Tsuna had begun crawling laps around the house before his meals and before bedtime. He would also go around the garden a few times whenever the door was open. Then the times in between his laps he was either reading or napping from exhaustion though the child insisted that he was not. It was cute at first but now Nana was getting a little worried about him. However she decided to dismiss his antics in favor of pampering her other child, Tsuna was more independent than Ieyasu after all, he could do what he wants.

* * *

><p>Tsuna grunted tired of a hard days work. It had been five days since he started his so-called training sessions and the brunette realized it was much more strenuous than predicted. He began crawling back to his room in defeat; today he only could do fifteen laps of the house without stopping. As he shut the door to his room Tsuna sat on the floor and closed his eyes.<p>

Apparently one should do something called meditating to find their flame. There are also other much faster ways but those involved special magical items the child didn't possess, this thought made said child pout in unreasonable annoyance. Slowly he cleared his mind as he drifted through the darkness. He had always came close to reaching his goal but the problem was that it required long periods of tense concentration, something rare in a one and a half year old's mind. But Tsuna was determined to get his magical powers. He wanted to protect his family from the dangers. In his mind if he was strong father would come home so mamma and his brother would be happy. Also - magical powers would be really, really cool to have.

Once again he felt himself immersed in the darkness of his mind as it too embraced him. He began to move along the currents of black waves, guided by his senses. The closer he got to whatever it was the more Tsuna felt himself getting pulled toward it, it was a small tingling sensation at first but now it felt like someone was practically pushing the boy there. It both excited and scared him.

A large wooden door just sat there in the sea of black. Tsuna could almost feel the pulsing of power coming from the other side. As he got closer he could see intricate carvings tinged with gold outlining on the oak. There were ten main pictures the young child could see. Ten flames. With small hands he reached to trace over the flame carvings, each one he touched glowed their respective colours. Silently he mouthed the words that appeared underneath each glowing flame.

_I am the Storm who destroys all in its path_

_I am the Rain who calms and washes away the pain_

_I am the Sun who supports and heals those in need_

_I am the Lightening that directs the danger away and protect_

_I am the Cloud aloof yet ever there ever watching_

_I am the Mist willing to deceive and lie in order to protect the truth_

_I am the Night hidden, silently annihilating those who incur my wrath_

_I am the Stars, the guiding lights to those lost_

_I am the Earth who attracts those around_

_I am the Sky who harmoniously accepts all_

As the last flame glowed more letters seemed to appear.

_We are the flames that are one and all_

_Who will you chose to join you on your journey?_

The brunette frowned as the question sunk into his mind. He could feel the door pulsing, waiting patiently for the child's answer. The boy paused for a second before mouthing his answer.

"I will like all of you to join me."

The glowing question faded only to replaced by another.

_It would be too much of a strain for one of your state to be with all of us_

Once again the boy pouted. Mentally he stamped his foot down and crossed his arms as if trying to convey his sulkiness.

"It isn't fair that I must take only one and leave the others! You are all a part of me and I will accept you all."

To Tsuna's slight annoyance he could hear a growing sound coming from the door. Laughter. Pouting cutely he glared at said door. After a while of laughing and pouting the door quieted once again revealing more glowing words.

_Go forth young child_

_Have faith in yourself and in the direction you chose_

_For you will change this world with your choices_

_For better or worse_

As soon as Tsuna finished reading the word's disappeared and the door began to open.


	2. Chapter 2

"talk"

'thoughts'

**Hey guys XD yup I updated in like two days I know a little sad**

**But OMG THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS AND FAVS AND FOLLOWS- This story had the most views and reviews and stuff on it's first day than any of my other stuff the first day they were published (I feel the love~)**

**I feel like I probs could have spent more time on editing this but meh ;P**

**Ah btw since I don't really plan my stuff (I'm more a whatever happens happens kinda gal) I truly did not mean for my story to get so… Well you'll see...**

**Hope you enjoy~**

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><p><em>A clear sky is ignored, taken for granted as peacefully it holds away the elements and protects those on the Earth… but as the sky turns dark and creates havoc the people that the sky had always protected cannot help but fear and despise…<em>

_It was tragic really - how one could be act as a perfect human being for ninety-nine days yet will only be remembered by others for the one other day they showed weakness._

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><p><span>Chapter 2: A spark of red, A glass wall and the Invisible silver lining<span>

The door opened to show all ten flames just flickering at the edges of the room. There was no flash of light, no choir music, no moment of silent revelation- it was kind of anti-climatic to the over imaginative child's imagination. Tsuna stepped or well crawled in to the room in amazement. He took much time to go to each individual flame to soak up their beautiful appearance, how they danced in the non-existent wind and how they seemed to react the closer he moved toward them as if alive. The brunette cooed and gurgled in excitement, acting like the child he was. He could feel the power and the promise of its capabilities in each one.

The moment the little brunette reached out to focus his will toward a flame, one the color of pure orange, it began to glow brighter than before, it's color deepened in intensity, flickering wildly as a small orange chain appeared connecting the boy and the flame. As if like dominoes each flame in turn seemed to copy the action until ten colored chains from the ten different flames were in contact with the small figure. The chains were small and delicate, no bigger than Tsuna's pinky but there was also strength in its hold.

Wonderment filled his large brown eyes and he giggled in joy. The sudden laughter caused the chains surrounding him to almost vibrate as his overall giddiness was reflected.

"Tsu-kun?"

A calm voice cut the scene like a warm knife on butter. And suddenly it was black.

* * *

><p>Having finished cooking dinner Nana smiled cheerily at her oldest son who was babbling non-stop on God knows but she didn't mind, her Yasu-chan was simply adorable. Humming to herself she set the plates of food out and began settling herself down. As she began to eat the air-headed brunette noticed the silence of the small blonde looking at her with curiosity in his blue eyes.<p>

"Where Tsu?"

The question caused the woman to stiffen in a mix of shock and guilt. 'How could I for even one second forget my other child?!' She inwardly cried 'What sort of mother am I?'

Nana hated how she found herself neglecting Tsuna, she really did but for some reason she would always go to her eldest first and her youngest as an afterthought. The young quiet child always seemed to fade into the shadows while the other was like a bubbly ray of light demanding attention toward him. Away from the shadowed child.

Slowly forcing away those thoughts Nana forced on another of her wide cheery smiles as she stood up to fetch her forgotten child not that the blonde child really noticed as he went back to focus on his meal.

When she was about to enter the small two year old's room Nana hesitated slightly. Maybe it was the guilt or some other feeling that was holding her back but again she brushed it away. Ever so slightly she opened the door a crack softly knocking out of formal politeness, she didn't know why she was acting like the boy, her son was a guest but in a way their relationship felt to... distanced to act like the way they should.

"Tsu-kun?"

A soft thump could be heard and the mother of the child flung the door open slightly worried at what the sound was. Her hazel eyes only saw a small child with brown gravity defying hair sleeping soundly on the ground. From the messy bed the woman could only assume the boy had merely fell off his soft bed whilst sleeping off his exhaustion from his unusual behavior as of late. With a small smile she crouched down toward her son that layer curled in adorable ball and gently shook him awake.

"Tsu-kun? Tsu-kun. Wake up Tsu-kun it's lunch time."

The small boy groaned irritatedly at the disturbance, large caramel brown eyes fluttering open trying to adjust to the unwelcome light. Satisfied Nana stood back up with a smile. "Oh Tsu-kun it's time to eat! Mama made mashed potatoes and sausages for lunch." And with a happy hum she was gone. A few moments later Tsuna could hear the faint laughter of his brother and the cooing from his mama.

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><p>The brunette heaved a sigh far too heavy than a boy his age should sigh as he unfurled himself revealing his magic book. Sometimes he did feel a pang of loneliness, a sudden longing to be close to the group known as a family. But even his premature mind knew for some reason or another it just couldn't be. He was considered different. Strange. But even though he is aware of the distance the child loved and accepted his family, even the strange blonde man known as father who gave him looks that made him feel hurt inside was accepted and he assured himself he was content with just that.<p>

And so Tsuna wanted to be stronger. To be part of the family he so loved, to be their protector, to be their everlasting flame.

After the dream he could feel a warm buzzing pulse through his veins, the tingling at the back of his neck, the sudden feeling of clear clarity and calm. He looked at his tiny hands curiously. Did it really happen? Did he get the magic he wished for?

As he focused, a clear image of an orange flame in his mind he felt his pulse quicken and his hands warm. A crackle, a spark could be heard, a faint flicker of orange, it happened for a split second but Tsuna saw it. A small orange flame. With a squeal the little naive child tried to run down the hall, however after a few falls he gave up and began crawling at breakneck speed to caught up in the moment.

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><p>"Tsu, Tsu!" The blonde child smiled happily as he saw his twin crawling excitedly toward him. Forgetting the food in front of him Ieyasu jumped off the chair and toddled to greet his brother. "E-Yasu!" Tsuna grinned, he loved his brother the most, his other half though so different to him was always happy even with the brunette's usually quiet presence beside him. Tsuna also liked how his elder brother could always understand him, no matter how quiet or how unwilling to communicate he was and he was pretty sure the other felt the exact same way. The younger of the two gestured to follow him to the garden in which the short-haired spikey blonde agreed sensing his siblings excitement.<p>

Giggling the two boys began crawling to the garden, wordlessly the gravity defying haired child closed the door behind them so mama couldn't hear. "Tsu wha is it?" Blue eyes glittered with anticipation. Ieyasu knew that if the boy wanted to show him something he it was going to be amazing. Last time it had been a butterfly that seemed to be made of gold, the time before that the brunette found a rock which when put under the sun glittered the colors of the rainbow but this time something was telling Ieyasu it was something big, something important. "E-Yasu. Yu cawn-t tewll Kay? Pwomis?" Despite the hushed tone it was obvious looking in the other's honeyed brown eyes that the child was serious. The blonde couldn't help but gulp in nervousness. The fact the other didn't want anyone else but him to know made it even more super special secret. With slight hesitation his blue eyes gleamed with determination. He was his brother and he knew Tsu wasn't going to do anything wrong, he trusted him blindly with his childish naivety.

"Pwomise." The unusually sharp brown eyes softened as Tsuna looked into his brother's eyes. With a grin he pulled his elder counterpart closer as he sat down.

"Kay jus... wach." The brunette unfurled one of his hands and concentrated the image of a small orange flame while projecting with his will for it to appear. Blue eyes widened in amazement as a small albeit very weak orange flame flickered in the palm of his brothers hand. It lasted for about half a minute as the flame flickered wildly as if trying to fight to survive until finally the young inexperienced child gasped breaking the connection and the flame faded away. The brunette could feel the sweat roll down his forehead and the aching tiredness that settled into him. As he looked at the awed face of his twin though he felt a sense of pride swell within him and he felt all his hard work had been paid off tenfold.

"Wow! Tsu so cool!" Tsuna had to chuckle at the sheer delight on his brothers childish face. The blonde was practically jumping at the sight, not that he could blame him- he reacted in almost the exact same way. "Magic." Was all the little boy replied puffing out his small chest. The other practically squealed and knocked the other over in an overexcited hug. "Tsu knos magic! Tsu knows magic!" Ieyasu all but chanted. Surprisingly the boy felt no envy or jealousy toward his twin despite his childish selfish personality. There was nothing but happiness toward the brunette, happiness and excitement. He accepted that while he may not have the innate talent to summon magical flames on his own he did hold the larger share of their family's affection while his other half was left in the shadows. Even at such a young age Ieyasu hated how differently they treated his brother and no matter how much love he gave to Tsuna he knew that it wouldn't be close enough to fill the emotional void in the boys heart.

Suddenly an idea entered the oldest twin's mind. "Tsu! Wy down't yow sho mama you magic!?" The younger of the two hesitated. The thought did pass through his mind a few times he admitted. He wanted so badly to be acknowledged by his mama, truly he did but something was holding him back, something was warning him against the idea and that something had never lead him off the wrong path before. However his faith in this unknown feeling wavered like a flame in a storm as he saw the sparkling expectant eyes of his beloved twin. Maybe his feeling was wrong? Maybe he should for once reach out and have faith in his brother.

With a small, shy smile the brunette nodded as an expectation of hope filled his lonely eyes.

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><p>"Mamma! Mama! Come!" Tsuna could hear his other half cheering his mother to come to the kitchen. He could feel the nervous anticipation pumping in his blood. A little part of him was screaming to stop, that his family wouldn't understand, that it was too soon but the child ignored it. He didn't want to hear it as his childish naivety filled the rest of his mind with thoughts of a happy family, a promise of true belonging.<p>

"Ara? Yasu-kun you brought me to see Tsu-kun?" At the sound of his name the brunette waved timidly while internally he had already began to concentrate on a flame on his other hand. The boy began picturing a flame- red- one of his mother's favorite colors, completely forgetting that he had never practiced producing a red flame before. A hiss, then a crackle was heard as his tiny hands unfurled to reveal an almost ruby red flame; at that moment his over excited elder brother upon seeing the flame ran toward the other with a ear-splitting squeal.

The sudden noise startled the two-year old causing him to suddenly break off his mental connection. The flame of storm became unstable. Flickering wildly as if trying to break free. Red sparks flew everywhere. A scream of pain. Tears. Shouting.

Finally the brunette child managed to extinguish the fire in his hand but the damage had been done. He looked up to see his mama cradling a sobbing Ieyasu, his left arm showed slight burn marks on his untouched skin.

Tsuna opened his mouth in an attempt to apologize but no words would come out. He cursed himself at the irony- he loved words and languages yet he was a failure when it came to communication. "Mam-" was all he could voice before flinching under his birth mother's gaze. His blood grew cold and even the flames that flickered in his body seemed to freeze. In her eyes were filled with the thing Tsuna feared the most. Rejection.

She moved toward him without a word but she didn't need to speak. Her eyes revealed all that was needed to be said. Silently she picked the still frozen boy up and opened the front door, dropping him outside the house. The small child watched as Nana coldly told him to stay out for a while as she shut the door in front of him. Only after the cold wind hit the brunette then did he awake from his dazed stupor. Softly he knocked at his door.

_*knock* *knock*_

"Mama?"

_*knock* *knock*_

"Mama I sowwy."

_*knock* *knock*_

"Mama?! I reawy am I pwomis!"

Tears were filling his eyes

_*knock* *knock**knock*_

"Mama downt weav me!"

_*knock* *knock*_

"I didn't mewn- I-I _*sob*_"

_*knock* *knock* *knock* *knock*_

"_*sob*_ pwease mama..."

But Tsuna's apologies and wails fell on deaf ears as he stayed outside till nightfall and cried himself to sleep.

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><p>The brunette woke up still bleary from yesterday only to realize that he was in his own bed again. Suddenly he jolted up from his sleeping position, a sense of relief washed over the child. 'It must have been just a dream.' He assured himself childishly as he got out of bed. 'Yes. A horrible, horrible dream.' Quickly he crawled to the kitchen wanting a hug from his mama to calm his still shaking nerves. As he got closer he could hear Nana's usual happy humming, hear Ieyasu's usual bubbly voice chatting away and he could feel his heart swell up with affection and other such emotions.<p>

"Mama good mowni-" as soon as the child entered the usual humming paused for a moment as cold hazel eyes stared down at the young boy. As suddenly as the humming stopped it continued once more as Nana looked away from the youngest twin completely ignoring his existence. It was like his very soul was shaken roughly. Yesterday was no dream. No- it was all very heart-wrenchingly real. No longer was Tsuna the strange quiet yet still cute son Nana had, in just one accident the boy had changed into something else in his mother's eyes. He didn't know what he was but he knew it would never be the same again. For some reason he could hear the scraping of glass upon glass ringing in his ears maybe it was the sound of his family shattering apart. But as he looked at the warm smile directed at his twin and the happy giggles that came from both the blond and his mamma he realized with an ice cold realization that the sound wasn't the sound of something breaking. It was the sound of a glass wall building up around the happy family. Leaving him on the other side.

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><p>The one barely visible silver lining to everything that had happened was that Tsuna now had the ability to go anywhere he wanted. The next few weeks his mother had purposely made sure that the two twins didn't meet and going so far as to just drop the brunette outside the house and leave him there for hours on end. In the beginning the young child cried and begged to be let in provoking the other to also wail and question why 'mama won't let me see Tsu' however after a week Tsuna with a mindset more mature than someone of his fragile age stopped. He knew that if it didn't work the last seven times there was no reason for the result to differ again. Instead he began to explore the area nearby having never really gone out of the house before.<p>

His first attempt at exploring was crawling to one end of the street and back. Many glanced curiously at the toddler alone on the streets but true to human nature they ignored the child, not wanting to be a part of whatever problem associated to him. Not that Tsuna really minded, he was too busy observing everything with curious eyes. It was interesting the outside world. At least it provided a good distraction from his life at home.

His second effort to explore took him a bit farther- he learned how to cross the road to get to the street on the other side. It took him an hour of watching the people's patterns to realize that the strange lights on the pole told them when or when not to cross the road filled with giant smoky robots. Of course what the little boy didn't know was how rough the road was or how injured his exposed soft skin would be as he crawled across. A little part of the small child's mind secretly wanted more injuries- anything to gain the attention he so deeply craved from his loved ones.

It never really happened though. The first time Nana did show a wavering trace of worry and the brunette savored the feeling of being pampered like a child should be however soon his mother spent less and less time worrying over him preferring to just silently dress his wounds and leave.

Each time he was pushed out of the house Tsuna would continue to explore, getting more confident and more willing to fulfill his insatiable curiosities. It was quite amazing how far he traveled considering his age and that he still couldn't really walk. People who lived by the area called him the Wandering Watcher as they grew used to him just being there always observing everything. It had been unnerving at first but many actually got used to and even warmed up to the adorable quiet little boy with the large caramel brown eyes.

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><p>After a few weeks Tsuna no longer needed to be prompted out of the house. He would leave after breakfast and come back before dinner. As if rewarding him the woman known as his mother gave him a notebook and a few pencils, which like the young innocent fledgling the brunette was took with grateful eyes. His blonde counterpart watched sadly as his twin crawled out the house; he didn't understand why it had come to this, why he couldn't spend time with his Tsu.<p>

From that day the little toddler with gravity defying brown hair was always seen with his little black notebook, watching and writing things down clumsily. He was seen everywhere- the nearby park, by a convenience store, by the sidewalk and soon curiosity grew rapidly about what the Wandering Watcher was writing. Little did everyone much less the boy himself that the notebook was one of the key items that had significantly helped affect the boy's future.

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><p><strong>Did you enjoy? I sure hope you did! <strong>

**Anyway sox this was kind of depressing and that I made Nana so OOC but I don't know it just felt like it would be ****weird if Tsuna had a super happy childhood ya kno? I swear it would be happier next chapter!**

**I'm probably going to focus more on the notebook than anything but yea please review~**


	3. Chapter 3

'thoughts'

"talking"

"talking in italian"

**Wow this is the most I have ever written- over 4300 words!**

**Not to mention that this story has the fastest amount of reviews, likes and follows I have ever gotten so thanks guys I'm really glad you like this XP **

**Hmmmm what else should I say? Not much really so I guess I hope ya enjoy this chapter as much as the others!**

****Btw I'm not going to make Tsuna walk just yet- I read it up and usually the latest age is like 18 months and I think crawling Tsuna is adorable~ Talking ****though will probs come soon because I hate autocorrect trying to mess up baby words.****

**Please tell me what you think**~

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><p><span>A Lost child, A Shopkeeper And How Tsuna got another Magic Book<span>

It was a particularly nice sunny day today so Tsuna decided to go to the park nearby. Picking up his little notebook and his favorite orange pencil he set off without a word to the other people in the house.

A few greetings were given by the more friendly locals on the street in which the boy replied politely with cute grunts and "Hewwos". After crossing a few streets the boy decided to take a break from his journey, sitting on the curb he began to watch the people walk past and observe. Over his many outings he noticed a few individuals in the crowd of others that were... _Special_. He couldn't really explain how he knew but it was that tugging feeling that he always had and after that incident he knew better than to ignore it.

The brunette liked to write down things about those people that he was drawn too, it helped him remember everything plus he thought he looked kind of smart like those spies or detectives he saw on his picture books. He first wrote their appearances, the clothes they liked and the colors they usually wore. It was interesting, kind of like writing your own book and creating your own characters. Yes. Tsuna liked the sound of that.

He wanted to know more about these people, their tastes in food, where they like to hang out, their personality, their name; it made the boy feel like he had a connection with somebody no matter how weak or fake it was. Some of the people he watched walked alone so the brunette couldn't gather any information through dialogue, only through careful observation with how they interacted with the strangers around them was he able to pick up the subtle hints of their identities and though he would never know their names he made up for that by just giving them nicknames based on their appearance or personality. It took much patience but slowly he built up pages worth of information on his '_characters_'.

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><p>As he was about to start writing he paused hearing a frantic screech. Looking up his big caramel eyes caught sight of a frazzled, panic-stricken looking woman who he recognized to be called Ryouko Chisake, she usually goes by this street with her daughter Meiko to buy groceries if the toddler remembered correctly. Unlike her usual stylish appearance and snobbish air she seemed ruffled, her perfectly styled hair and always well pressed clothes were messy and creased. "Meiko?! Has anyone seen my Meiko?!" Any bystanders present either ignored her or watched with faces of sympathy, Tsuna immediately felt the need to help the lady- he hated how people seem to be unwilling to help and despite how bad her attitude was toward him before-looking at him with disgust and disdain- he couldn't just sit back and watch as she broke down.<p>

The boy knew that the stylish lady and her six-year old daughter were not on the best terms, he'd watched them fight, he saw when the young girl would grow tired of her mother's snobbish attitude, he saw that sometimes she would just go to the swing set at the park to clear her mind and think. He didn't like the idea of such a fractured family because of miscommunication- it reminded Tsuna too much of his own situation, sometimes for fun he would write a few notes at the end of his little investigations like these about possible solutions to solve such issues. The brunette liked to bitterly reminisce about his own lack of communication and writing down these little bits of advice was his own little form of fantasizing. He didn't really intend to show it to other people, he already had a fear of rejection as it was- but looking at such a distraught expression he could feel his resolve strengthen.

Timidly he crawled up to the emotional woman and tugged gently at the hem of Ryouko's pants. The woman responded instantly by kicking whatever street trash that even dated touch her away from her being. "What the hell do you want street brat?!" She snapped causing the other to shrink smaller in size if that was possible. The sudden harsh voice made the boy flinch in fear however quickly he recovered, eyes determined to help her despite the overall rejection. He crawled back to her and tugged harder until she finally gave the decency to look him in the eyes. For a split second the woman hitched in her breath. For a split second she saw a flash of maturity and wisdom in those large eyes that shouldn't be there for one his age yet at the same time still withheld a pure innocence stronger than any child she had seen. Then the eyes were blocked out of view, rudely pushed away by the sight of a certain page in the boy's small notebook he held in his equally petite hands.

Still a little fazed by those caramel brown orbs the woman wordlessly read the messy writing scribbled on the sheet. Her eyes widened slightly as the words settled on her like snow falling onto the ground. No longer holding an expression of disgust but had it replaced with awe. "Is... This.. True?" Shyly the Wandering Watcher nodded as the bystanders around tried to crane their heads in an attempt to read what was said. Suddenly the notebook was flung back as the woman ran off in the direction of the park- toward the swing set to be precise.

The outsiders watching the show dispersed after that, muttering under their breaths on the ungratefulness and rudeness of the lady, only a few stayed curious about the child. Said child watched as the lady left unexplainable happy she took his advise. He decided to wait a little longer by the street completely forgetting his original goal of going to the park, something told him she was coming back after all.

The few others who were watching the boy were confused, why wasn't he leaving? It was like he knew something was coming.

And in just half an hour something did.

As the last few bystanders turned to leave already regret their earlier decision to watch the strange little child they stopped to see the child who at that time was writing in his notebook look up expectantly toward the end of the street. Suddenly the sound of the clacking of stilettos was heard on the near empty sidewalk as well as the soft footsteps of a small child, then as if appearing out of the surroundings itself the woman threw off all her pride and tackled the brunette in a teary filled hug as the bystanders looked on gaping. "Th..ank.. You... Than..k you so much!" Was all they could hear being muffled as the embrace tightened. A young girl a few years older than Tsuna also gave the small figure a hug- though much more gentler. The brunette was a little uncomfortable with this strange action seeing it down a few times before but never truly experiencing it himself, though he found himself confirming the experience though strange wasn't unpleasant.

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><p>After that day word spread about the Wandering Watcher- <em>that he could find what had been lost, fix bonds that had long since broke, help the ones who needed help, heal the broken hearts and comfort the souls of the lonely<em>. Only the little boy himself was unaware of his title and newfound reputation, he did notice more people staring at him as well as greeting him though it only made him feel a little discomforted unused to such attention. However he also saw more interesting people to write about as well as more people that he had a sudden urge to help. It was fun- he found- helping people, they always thanked him and some even gave him gifts; usually it was food since the brunette always looked underweight due to his mother only feeding him the bare minimum but sometimes the more special people gave him other things. The fact that he was very selective in choosing those he wished to assist- only choosing people he felt were interesting and kind which he sensed through his intuition- made the wide-eyed ever curious child seem even more mysterious and an enigma than ever before.

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><p>The most memorable gift the boy had ever gotten was when Tsuna met a strange white-haired shopkeeper who immediately saw through his happy demeanour and the breath taking cold loneliness in his figure as well as was attracted to the inscrutable aura of said man, taking it upon himself the child began to visit his shop (which appeared out of nowhere strangely enough) to give some much needed companionship to his new friend. Tsuna decided that the man was a very strange and mystical character, matching well with the shop he owned that always seemed to change location every visit causing the always curious boy to giggle with glee as he made it a challenge to find the place every time with his <em>special<em> feeling. The elder of the two never seemed to look surprised whenever the young child entered despite the fact that the shop was alway surrounded by mist flames that should've protected the place from sight, he always took to the appearance of the ever calm smiling shopkeeper. Over time the white-haired man gave up trying to hide from the child as he claimed to find it such a hassle to move each time though secretly he grew to enjoy the others endearing presence. The feeling was mutual and Tsuna found himself trying to talk with the man with more and more confidence.

The man never told him his name always saying "It wasn't the right time." with a mischievous smile so the brunette just called him Uncwle Shiro because of his white hair. He vividly remembered the slight shock on the grown man's face as well as a spark of affection as the others dark black eyes softened ever so slightly behind his glasses when he first called him that. He liked Uncle Shiro, he really did, he was like the family he had always wanted (though the child was way too embarrassed to say that out loud) and on the fourth visit he decided to timidly show the elder of the two his notebook and scribbles. It was a sign of trust in which the shopkeeper accepted with a small but genuine smile. They grew even closer after that where the white-haired man would tell him about magical flames like his own, how there were eight powerful people who were cursed in order to protect the world and other fantastical stories that Tsuna excitedly soaked up. The boy began to visit the shop at least once a day eager to listen to his uncle's amazing stories.

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><p>On the twenty-seventh visit Tsuna told the shopkeeper he had magic flames just like in the stories inside him, he hated lying to his Uncle and frankly he was tired of keeping his secret- he was just a child and despite his maturity and awareness which surpassed many his age he just wanted to be accepted.<p>

At that time a little part of him panicked and internally cringed ready to be rejected like he had been before as the confession was unintentionally blurted out, even Uncle Shiro paused for a moment.

A heavy silence filled the air between them. Tsuna wanted so badly to cry and wished he had the ability to run out of the store right then. However all negative thoughts were blown away as a large hand ruffled his spiky brown hair. "Maa.. Don't look so down kid- I already knew that!" the older of the two chuckled. Now the brunette was the one taken aback and a little angry, how could this stranger just, just accept him like that?! Him- someone his own mother could not truly love?! Unknowingly tears filled his eyes and ran down silently as the young child looked at the shopkeeper with confused wavering eyes. The man though he didn't show panicked for a moment, he had gone through many things in his life but dealing with crying children- especially adorable ones like these- was NOT one of them. "I-I mean because your Uncle Shiro knows everything and the fact is some of those stories I told you are true and uhm.." At that Tsuna stopped crying as he heard those words. "Sow thewe's othews wike me?" His teary caramel orbs looked at the other's endless black ones. "I'm… Not a mwonster?"

Another chuckle, more ruffling in his hair,a small sad smile and a shake of a head was all Tsuna needed to feel a huge weight lifted off his tiny figure. There was still uncertainty and loneliness in the child but it no longer felt so hard for him to breath.

With the largest smile he could muster Tsuna felt the urge to show off his magic to the man, he hadn't shown it to anyone since that incident and to be honest he never thought he would again but the man before him seemed different, he too held a feeling that he was hiding things that also weren't quite… human, dangerous things. Slowly he closed his eyes and focused. To his surprise he felt all ten flames pulsing in excitement in reaction to the man before him, it felt a little easier to control the flames now that a little part of him that had been rejecting himself had disappeared. One by one a small flame appeared on his finger, each it's own different colour to represent it's individual element. The flames were small but unlike before it seemed to exude a sense of calming yet overwhelming power. The boy twirled around giggling excitedly as the flames created almost a little taill making it look like the young child was playing with very beautiful streamers rather than Flames. Suddenly Tsuna noticed the shocked silence that came from his friend and turned to him worriedly. "Uncle Shiwo?" That seemed to snap the other out of his daze. "Ah gomen kid. I just didn't realise you had so many flames.." The boy pouted a little at being called a chibi but decided to dismiss the insult to smile cheerily. "Hai! This flame is Storm-kun, this is Rain-kun, Cloud-kun, Night-san, Sky-san, Star-san…"

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><p>As the happy brunette began introducing his flames like they were actual people Kawahira just watched with a strained smile and a raised brow. Even in all the parallel worlds never did Tsunayoshi Sawada ever was able to access ten flames and <em>certainly<em> _not_ at such a young age to boot! The white-haired man grimaced ever so slightly, this universe is definitely a strange one, never did he think _he_ of all people would end up becoming close to the child first _but_- he smiled again as he watched the rather beautiful sight of the innocent curious child dancing with his many flames- he was secretly glad it happened.

After the little show the shopkeeper ruffled the boy's surprisingly soft brown locks much to the pleasing satisfaction of Tsuna. Saying it was a present for being brave enough to reveal his secret the white-haired man gave the boy some new pencils and a dark orange book with the title written in silver marking out the word Fiamme or Flame telling the now beyond delighted child that the book will also help with his magic training. Never had the boy felt so loved as he hugged the shopkeeper endlessly repeating his gratitude between sobs.

The next day Tsuna left the house with a bunch of flowers in his hands that he picked in the park as a thank you gift for his friend however even as he searched for the day the shop's presence was no longer there.

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><p>The young child was heart-broken at first, moping under the trees in the park or sulking behind the Nanimori shrine but it didn't last long as somewhere deep down he knew he would meet his Uncle Shiro again. He continued on his old routine of watching and exploring while also fitting in some time to train his flames with guidance to his books. Most of the flames were handled to a satisfying degree thanks to the detailed information given in his Fiamme guide book however there were three flames that strangely held almost little to no information making it much harder for the child to train. Sky-san the young brunette found was the easiest to train with as he found it almost calmly resonating with his soul however the boy was still unsure of how to properly utilise the flame's special characteristics.<p>

Night-san was the hardest and most difficult to control, the black flame always slipping away from his metaphorical hands as if like a wild horse refusing to be used much less tamed. Star-san was probably the most mysterious flame, it was a clear flame with it's own tiny silver sparks if one looked close enough and seemed to exude an ethereal glow.

The only information about the flame was that it was so rare it was considered just a very uncommonly known myth, the guiding flame it was called. When Tsuna first activated it the clear flame seemed to just dissolve into his surroundings like when you put sugar in water. The surroundings affected by the flame shimmered faintly and sometimes the brunette could see people that weren't there before. He found he could communicate with them and that they were technically no longer from this world but instead were spirits with lingering regrets. Taking pity on them Tsuna found himself not only helping people in the living but also in the undead world not that he really minded, he was always paid back with amazing stories and bits of information he could have never have dreamt of which he wrote in his notebook.

He found he could condense the Star flame however it took almost all his effort and concentration to even try and contain the flame into the palm of his hand as the flame density became so strong to the point it became almost white in colour and that even though it doesn't physically affect a person it can affect souls instead kind of like how the mist flames affect the mind. In a way the star and mist flames were quite similar except one affected the living much better than the other.

But most importantly he found that the act of him singing or at least humming helped clear his mind and control his emotions which in turn assisted in manipulating his flames better, even Night-san was nicer to him when he sang. Any new information he found about these flames over his experimenting and training he also wrote in the empty pages of the Fiamme book hoping to show to his Uncle Shiro when he next meets the man. Tsuna spent many weeks helping people- living and dead alike and the rumours of the Wandering Watcher grew like fire in the woods and it was fun albeit slightly tiring for the child. Sometimes he wished though he had someone like Uncle Shiro again, someone to help fill that empty gap inside him.

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><p>It was the middle of a very hot sunny day and Tsuna was currently scribbling messily as he watched curiously a little yellow puffball hopping about next to a slightly larger yellow puffball. Suddenly a tall dark shadow loomed over him and inwardly the two year old shivered a bad feeling washed over him as he looked up to see cold dark brown eyes. "Are you the Wandering Watcher?" It sounded polite and deceptively kind but those cold eyes were obviously doubting the small child before him. The brunette didn't really know where the name came from but he was observant enough to realise that this was the title people referred to him as which suited him fine as he didn't want his real name to burden his family, his very presence did that already. Moving on from that depressing thought he refocused his attention to the tall scary adult even though it wasn't his real name Tsuna didn't really want to be associated with this man who reeks of a dark ruthless character however something also told him the man was more than willing to kill to get his way. His need to protect others had always overridden his need for self-preservation and so after a moments hesitation he nodded warily. The cold eyes narrowed causing the child to flinch. "This man." The older man pushed a picture into small hands. "I want to... <em>see<em> him."

Tsuna recognised the man in the photo Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, a friendly man always with a smile on his face. He'd often see him with his son playing in the park on the weekends and every time they met the man would never fail to give him some very tasty rice balls or some other food known as sushi which was also quite nice. Tsuyoshi was a good man. The brunette didn't want any harm to come across him and he wasn't so naive to realise that this cold man wanted to do something a little worse than just see the man. It wasn't just his gut feeling but also after much interaction with his star flame he found that as an after effect he could feel the presence of other spirits if he tried hard and he didn't even need to try to feel the overall pressure of the countless lingering souls surrounding the man. Looking straight into the man's eyes determined, his own eyes flashed orange though he was slightly trembling he opened his mouth to answer.

"**No**." As soon as the words left his mouth he could feel the killing intent rise in the tall menacing figure. "No?" It sounded like that word had been scrunched up and spat out. Long claw like fingers reached out to roughly grab the boy by his collar lifting him up so they were eye to eye. The brunette shivered violently as he saw in those cold eyes a gleam of murderous intent, it had been his first time coming across someone so… psychotic. "Tell me now." The killer all but hissed his breath raspy like he had swallowed rusty knives and smelt like iron. Once again the brunette stared with all the defiance he could muster replying his answer. He could hear the click of a gun that rested on his torso, it was too late to use his flames now not that it would help as though he could control them a little better the child had no idea how to use them in battle. He was glad that right now none was nearby this isolated section of the park, Tsuna would never forgive himself if an innocent was harmed because of him. Tsuna shut his eyes tightly waiting for the worst.

One second past

Then ten

Then a full minute went by

Cautiously he opened his eyes to see the now widened eyes of his attacker who seem to shake with… fear?

"Alex Barbizo, for killing twenty-two mafioso, betraying your own familigia by breaking the Omertà and selling out family secrets as well as attempting to kill an innocent child you are sentenced to-"

The voice was hollow and emotionless yet not as frightening as Tsuna expected, Alex however didn't share the same feeling as all blood proceeded to leave his face and in a moment of weakness released his grip from the child. The brunette not wasting the opportunity scrambled away and dashed into the bushes to watch curious of his saviors. He had heard of Vendicare before but only rumours, never had he met someone - living or dead- who had directly experienced the place and that intrigued the child, a little too much for his own good. It was a group of three very tall very intimidating men all in long black torn coats, top hats and for a strange reason bandaged head to toe, covering any possibility of exposed skin to the world. The scary man no longer looked so terrifying as his knees shook and looked like he was close to tears. With a yell he attempted to escape. Keyword escape.

The moment he turned his back the tallest of the three bandaged men unleashed strange silver chains from under his coat, which shot out like a bullet quickly restraining the quivering killer. Tsuna couldn't help but gasp at such a swift attack and the power that exuded from the trio. He couldn't help it. He was entranced, not to mention he sensed night flames from the mysterious men making his inquisitive mind go into overdrive. The brunette saw them open a portal with said night flames. He couldn't let this pass, he knew that he had to satisfy himself and without thinking he reached with his tiny hands and grabbed the closest cloak for once thanking his small figure as well as the the fact he was usually underfed.

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><p><span>"Bermuda-sama we have successfully put Alex Barbizo behind bars. We did not even have to use the force we thought necessary." <span>The trio reported as the bowed down toward a certain baby, sitting on a much to large black throne decorated with black furs and silver carvings. Bermuda nodded satisfied.

**"Good job Fico, Ario and Emilio. I just have one question."**

They lifted their heads up confused. Usually their boss would have dismissed them by now. Did they do something wrong? Suddenly they heard a gurgle of happiness and they as one all turned to see the cutest -though a little small -two-year old with large honey brown eyes giggling with joy as he fiddled with the torn edges of Fico's coat.

**"Who is the child?"**


	4. Chapter 4

"talk"

"Italian talk"

'thoughts'

_singing_

**Hey guys! wow over 5000 words?! Dammmnnn!**

**Anyway I'm in the middle of WACE exams so I'll see how I do and yea...**

**Well I hope you enjoy this- and I'm sooo happy about the great feedback I got - over 900 views in a day?! woot!**

**ok well I kept ya waiting too long so enjoy and well review please XD**

**oh ALSO WARNING OOC for Vindice because I don't exactly know how they are considering we barely see there personalities but...**

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><p><span>A Sense of Shock, A Decision and Tsuna's First Lullaby<span>

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><p><span><strong>"Who is that?"<strong>

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><p>The trio just stared slack jawed. The shared thought of disbelief and shock hung in the air like a noose and the awkward silence filled the air suffocating everyone except for one smiling oblivious child. Finally the brunette childishly satisfied with fiddling with the edge of the coat noticed the burning stares directed at his tiny figure. Tsuna looked at the men who just stared back in return. It was like you could see the silence between them. As the child scanned the room his large honeyed eyes rested onto a strange figure that practically screamed power and demanded respect despite his baby shaped appearance he could see the figure was possibly the strongest in the room and for some inexplicable reason Tsuna was drawn to him. Maybe it was because of the contrast between the physical and the internal, the almost regal aura this other exuded, all-in all his very presence seemed to attract the child and without even thinking he began crawling toward said infant.<p>

Bermuda if one looked closely under his bandages raised an eyebrow at the approaching figure. Was this child crazy? Not even the strongest of mafioso would so casually approach the boss of Vindice and even if they weren't aware of his status his overall overwhelming power should make even the most dense be wary of him. But not this child. He could see that the young brunette held a strong will and a lonely past through his large eyes that seemed to reflect everything and Bermuda undeniably felt pulled into those eyes, possibly attracted by the pure innocence and warmth that had always been so tragically absent in his own life.

The child with tiny hands reached out to the baby and without really understanding himself the Night Arcobaleno let him. Their hands grazed each other and ever so slightly the infant had to suppress a shiver. Even underneath the bandages he could feel the smooth pale skin of the child as well as the faint underlying pulse of power under the softness. And then Tsuna smiled. A smile that made the emotionally dead Vindice guards feel something other than revenge and hatred stir within them. A smile that caught their breath. That melted even if only a tiny bit of the giant glacier that they had froze themselves into. In a way it scared them- they who lived their lives in the darkness of revenge to feel… something, anything was something that was considered wrong yet they couldn't help but yearn for it.

"Up!"

A young clear voice echoed off the grey dreary walls that immediately reminded the general crowd of melting caramel; sweet, warm and addictive yet exotic due to the words being spoken in japanese. Bermuda couldn't help but stare incredulously (though he hid it pretty well) at the brunette, he understood the language the child was speaking having learnt many languages himself, what he couldn't seem to wrap his mind around was the child itself who obviously directed the order toward him. This two-year old evidently wanted him to lift him up onto his throne. The bandaged Arcobaleno weighed his options. If he adhered the commands of a mere child that would instantly cause his reputation to drop faster than a certain hitman running to his beloved espresso after a month of caffeine deprivation. However if he refused the child could very well cry and **_then_** he would be the jerk of a boss who made little children cry. Of all things good and pure- **he** was the Vindice Boss goddammit! He didnt know squat with kids- torture and final complex judgements that would affect a persons entire life?- Now _THAT_ was his forte. In fact how was he in this situation in the first place!?

_*snort*_ "I-I can't..." _*chuckle*_

Everyone's head whipped to the source of the offending individual much to their surprise they saw Bermuda's right hand man Jäger reveal his presence with his hand to his mouth and shoulders shaking in attempt to stifle his laughter. Though his boss's internal confusion and chaos was well hidden, having served so long by the arcobaleno's side the tall male was able to pick up the faint hints of emotion on the other's face. Though Jäger was a usually stoic solemn man the ridiculous scene of an adorable child asking to be picked up by the boss of the most feared formidable group of the underworld not to mention the sight of said boss with the most lost, panicked expression he'd ever seen just sent him over the freaking edge. His failure to muffle his laughter only served to make the situation even more humorous causing slight snickers even from the other subordinates much to the arcobaleno's chagrin. 'Seems like someone is simply _begging_ for more paperwork.'

Tsuna not understanding what the big joke was felt slightly upset he was being so visibly ignored by the person in front of him. His large honey brown eyes began to water as his expression took upon what could only be described as the emotionally equivalent to a small kicked puppy surrounded by a field of flowers in the rain. "No uwp?"

Now Bermuda looked even more flustered to the point even the trio could notice. Jäger took one look and lost it, thanking the electricians who had the genius idea to install high tech security cameras in here- this was something he wanted to remember for generations to come. His laughter came out loud and raspy due to it's lack of use as it bounced off the walls. The Vindice boss couldn't help but shoot a very annoyed glare that could have easily stopped a raging bull in its track, too bad his right hand man was too busy laughing to even notice. 'Yes. It's decided. After completing paperwork the size of a small mountain Jäger would have the privilege of testing the new torture methods.'

Suddenly the door to the room burst open to reveal the rest of what were considered the strongest individuals in Vendice. "Oi Boss! Is something freaking wrong?! We heard a strange nois-"

They stopped as underneath their bandages eyes widened in shock as they assessed the what could only be described as unfathomable situation. Then they too couldn't help but reveal in their own ways their amusement.

Jack the one who created the initial outburst open and closed his mouth like a fish, his usual hotheadedness washed away by the situation.

"_Kekeke_ to think our boss can be flustered by a mere child. How... Interesting..." Small Gia cackled as he stepped forward with a grin that shown through his bandages, sadistic ideas brewing in his head on new ways to tease his usually indifferent hard-to-affect boss. The Vendicare prison wasn't exactly the most entertaining place and the guards had to satisfy their own amusement somehow.

"_Puppipuppipupi_." Big Pino responded with his usual indecipherable language though it was obvious from his tone that he was definitely teasing.

Even the ever loyal Alejandro who was one of the earliest Vindice alongside Bermuda couldn't help but crack a smirk.

A vein pulsed underneath the baby's bandages. It seemed a lot of people were just _dying_ to be thoroughly punished.

As an ominous aura that promised hell on earth began spreading Jäger had oh so thoughtfully decided to cease his laughing fit in preference to not dying. Trying to regain his composure he coughed effectively distracting his boss from his earlier plan of torturing his subordinates through paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork.

_*ahem*_ "I advise you to decease such childish behavior Bermuda-sama. It is not good to lose one's composure."

Everyone sweatdropped at the hypocrisy of the strongest Vindice's statement, Bermuda was fuming. Thankfully the ever cool-headed Alejandro stepped in. "What I want to know… Is why is there's a child in the throne room of Vendicare Prison?" The other Vindice that stood behind him also nodded silently, not wishing to incur the arcobaleno's wrath with anymore careless words. Everyone at once shot a look at the now very sheepish looking trio of Vindice guards still in a half bow half kneeling position. The tallest Ario decided to be the one to explain the situation. "Well we successfully refrained and captured our target and were unaware that we accidentally brought over through the portal an… unexpected guest." At the last two words the trio couldn't help but look down embarrassed at such a slip up to occur. Honestly if there wasn't any bandages and if they weren't well dead you could have seen a large red blush on each of their faces. Another awkward silence filled the room though it was quickly broken off by Jack who had regained his voice. "Putting that aside- What are we going to do with this freaking brat?! No one but us should know the presence of the Night Arcobaleno and now this little terror may blurt it out for the entire freaking world!"

Now everyone looked thoughtful and a little shocked at the usually short-sighted Vindice's uncharacteristically insightful remark, it was true that the very idea of there being an 8th arcobaleno was a closely guarded secret and the possibility of it being leaked out will completely ruin all their future plans at revenge.

"Let's kill 'im." The most sadisitic of the group declared, his larger partner "puppipu"-ing in agreement.

"But it's just a child- a baby!" protested Emilio on reflex temporally forgetting his own position, his coat was the reason the innocent child was brought here and therefore if the two-year old was killed the blood would be on his hands. Despite being part of what was considered the most cruel heartless organisation they did what they do for a reason and murdering an innocent life was a bitter taste to recover from no matter how emotionless one tried to be. "I understand your point Emilio." The Vendicare guard sighed in relief as he found Alejandro backing him up. Never at that moment did the guard ever feel so grateful for his superior's spine-chilling cold voice. "However…" The trio all tensed. "That still does not help us in deciding how to deal with this child. We can not just let it go back to the outside world after seeing all of this."

"Yes but since it's only a kid I highly doubt anyone would really believe him!" Ario interjected with the other two guards nodding in passionate agreement. "Worse case scenario they dismiss the baby as delusional."

"But think about-"

"Just a chi-"

"Pupip-"

"Big Pino's right let's just kil-"

"Like you would freaking know what Pino says-"

"Ya callin' me a lia-"

"Freakin-"

"Calm dow-"

As the debate grew louder and louder between the Vendicare guards Tsuna frowned as the words devolved into a cacophonous mix of noise and shouting. One thing he understood though was that the topic of conversation was about him- and he was severely being underestimated. Despite the fact his instincts were warning him of the danger that came from staying, being in the place that he had heard about so many times in the form of rumours and stories intrigued the youth greatly and the brunette didn't want to leave such an interesting place, not yet anyway. His caramel brown eyes looked back up to the powerful individual in front of him who he concluded -thanks to careful observation of the interactions between the other bandaged men- to be the man in charge.

When he crawled toward the other as if drawn like a bee to honey his large brown eyes noticed the ever so slight, minuscule shifting of the figure, the way his bandages crinkled a little in a subtle almost unnoticeable frown. A little part of the boy wished he wasn't so observant and aware sometimes as to him it was obvious the one on the throne was clearly uneasy in his presence. Tsuna felt a little disheartened at that and he couldn't comprehend in his childish mind why on earth this person was so uncomfortable with him. He felt something within the other, though he couldn't place in words what the feeling was, this sense of loneliness like with Uncle Shiro, this feeling of wanting to be close by, to comfort, to help. In fact in a way he felt a little of that toward the other guards too but not with such fierce intensity.

He wanted to stay, despite the rumours of the place being the very definition of Hell on Earth and his instincts screaming to leave, he knew that something was holding him back, something that overrides his fear, a nagging itch that demanded to do everything in his power to not leave. However -and Tsuna pouted at this- convincing them to let him stay was easier said than done especially since the most powerful individual in the group did not exactly appreciate his existence not to mention he may be able to understand and read Italian, the boy had never really spoke the language before and he certainly wasn't going to try it right now. But he had to do something, yes he was afraid of the consequences if he failed but he was even more afraid of the regret that would come if he didn't try.

Closing his eyes he inhaled slowly washing away any sparks of unease and fear that was burning in his mind as he began quietly humming he felt his magic flames warming him as if they were encouraging his choice. He concentrated an image into his palm, the usually wild flame seemed to flicker along with the calming beat of his humming. It definitely helped soothe his nerves and doubts. Slowly a flame the colour of the night began to form, filled with his feelings cultivated due to his isolation and at the same time his consequent burning will to change.

All noise deceased as they all felt a familiar yet unknown pulse of a Night flame. All attention was moved to the source of the new flame, dark, inky black flickering on a palm of a small hand. The owner of the hand couldn't help but giggle lightly at the failure of the usually composed Vendicare to hide their shock and surprise. Not only were they dumbfounded that the flame of Night had been used by a _child_, they were also stunned by the flame itself. It held the negative emotions required to be formed yet instead of the scorching sense of hatred and vengeance that usually was contained in the flame they felt almost a cold unknown feeling. _Ah_ that was wrong they did recognise that feeling. Loneliness.

Bermuda was the first to recognised the core feeling of the child's flame. It truly hurt him. The idea that a child with so much talent yet had probably alienated and scorned to the point that he could create Night flames- the embodiment of negative emotions- not to mention at such a young age too. He was sure he wasn't the only one aware of what it meant if this child could manipulate such a dangerous flame. But he was also sure that none in the room wanted to truly harm the child either.

**"Child"** The Vindice Boss's voice boomed deep, raspy but if one heard real closely you could still hear it had a tinge of almost melting chocolate, a remainder of what he once was. Tsuna of course noticed the shadow of the past that came from the other but remained silent as he listened to the question that he knew would come. The others in the room also stilled anticipatedly waiting. **"Why do you show me this?"**

"I want yu to twain me." As the boy spoke those words his eyes for a mere second glinted orange, for a mere second he seemed to radiate power that could potentially rival the others, for a mere second his cherubic features hardened in determination. Murmers of surprise at the response began filling the room like the buzzing of an angry wasp.

**"Do you know who we are?" **At the question spoken the child tilted his head cutely as if pondering his answer. It seemed like an obvious question that in turn gave an obvious answer, of course what the guards expected was not what they heard.

"Uhn. I havw heawd about te Vindice." It was said so simply like it was natural for two year olds to have knowledge of the enforcers of justice for the underground world and mafioso. The fact the brunette even knew was worrying enough not to mention the newfound idea that there were people willing to spill this information to said child. The whole room grew silent unconsciously everybody leaned in a little closer to the mysterious toddler waiting for more information.

**"Go on child" **Bermuda had to admit he was greatly intrigued by this strange brunettes reasoning, his voice though still intimidating and deep now seem to hold a gentler edge then before.

"Well a lot of the stwange ojii-sans that kinda fluwtter awound sometimes tewlls me stuvf 'bout the Vendicare awnd Vindice. Like that they awre weally howwible, scawy, indivw-idwals with no sense of fashiown and who are mewcilwess to those who even think about bweaking the law. There's this one ojii-san who even towld me that they were heartwess vwoids of cold fwigid monstwers." The Vindice listening felt a little offended at such a blunt comment. They were cold yes but they weren't _that_ bad. And their fashion tastes were not _that_ tasteless. _Right? "-_but_-"_ and Tsuna scrunched his face up at this trying to think how to word things. "Honestly I think they were just making things up cuz they were scawed. The Vindice sound like weally _weally_ cool guawdians always pwotecting the wules and stuff!" At this point the child began excitedly waving his arms endearingly as his face became one of admiration. "They always do their best to protect everyone even though the people they protect think they are scawy monstwers and that's really amazwing! Plus they always wear those long black capes like those superhewwos or magic wizards and, and-"

As the child continued on singing praises the feeling of being offended was washed away and immediately replaced by an oddly warm emotion feeling filling their souls, it felt uncomfortable embarrassing yet it was… not unwelcome. Even Bermuda felt the need to fidget ever so slightly like a schoolgirl who had just been complimented by her crush. Finally the brunette stopped out of breath, unused to talking so much. Suddenly he felt a little embarrassed for losing himself and his usual timid shy demeanour came back as he looked down on the ground shuffling his feet while giving shy looks now and again. It was simply adorable.

It was a moment of silence until-

**"I have come to an ****decision." **Everybody tensed awaiting Bermuda's answer. Usually the correct and not to mention customary answer to such a situation was to kill the individual off yet every Vendicare guard waiting knew a little part of them(no matter how much they would deny it later) wished that this would not be the fate given to the cute innocent little thing. No one could explain but they all felt drawn to this brunette, something about the kid was fascinating.

**"You will stay with us."**

* * *

><p>Tsuna had mixed feelings as he looked up at his house.<p>

It was his house, he was born here, he grew up here. But now that he thought about it he _grew_ up here but did he really _live_ here? He never experienced the things his brother did that truly made a house a home. He didn't have those moments, the laughter, the hugs or the love. Yes it was _house_ but he knew it would never be his _home_.

The Vindice Boss, Bermuda Von- something or other had understood the child's hesitation in living with the Vindice and had allowed the brunette time to think, sending him back home through another portal. Once he came to his decision he had been instructed to summon Night-san and call for Bermuda. Honestly to the ever curious boy he was sorely tempted to stay with them,_ really_ tempted. But he still had his own promises to uphold, promises to himself, to protect his loved ones.

In a way he connected a little to the Vindice- he too has people he wished to protect yet he was constantly unwanted and unappreciated, there were many times in which he wished to just break his promise to himself and leave and it was always a constant dark thought that seemed to lurk in his childish mind waiting for a moment of doubt or weakness. When the fluttering ojii-sans he met during his time experimenting with Star-san told him about the Vindice the two year old couldn't help but feel admiration for the strength they possessed, to be able to ignore those cruel comments and stories about them all for the sake of their justice. It was an immature, naive outlook but he was just a child after all.

* * *

><p>"Tadaima"<p>

"Tsu! You're back! Welcom bwack Tsu!" Tsuna blinked. It felt like a long time since he heard his brother's voice. With a small smile he greeted the excitable blonde.

"Uhn I'm back E'yasu." The brunette gazed at his older twin noticing the changes in his brother since the last time he truly saw him. The blonde had definitely been fed well unlike him, he looked healthy, dressed in brand new pyjamas and it seemed he had grasped the general basics of walking thanks to the constant support and love of his mother. "Where mama?" Thinking about it, it was considerably dark out. Usually the two would have been asleep by now. Ieyasu grinned as he put his finger to his mouth signalling the other to be quiet despite the fact the blonde himself was the cause of most of the noise.

"Mama tells me not to see Tsu so I waited till mama slept and came to see Tsu!" Tsuna could't help shaking his head at his brother's strange logic but he let a small flush of love for the other show through the blush in his cheeks. At least his brother truly cared for him.

As he watched his younger brother shake his head and a light pink dusting on his cheeks the blonde couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret and guilt. He wasn't as aware as his brother but he knew that his Tsu was silently suffering under his mama's negligence and he knew that it had been his own fault for his mother treating the brunette like a monster. Yes he knew that Nana seemed to have always been distanced from his brother and closer to him but the incident really changed things for the worse. Ieyasu recognised that his mum was failing to feed his other half and sometimes when she wasn't looking he would sneak a little bit extra on his grateful brother's plate not that it helped much. He loved his brother dearly but despite his happy go lucky brash attitude Ieyasu was a coward. He was afraid to stand up to his mother, he was afraid to go against her, to see the face of disappointment that he'd seen his own twin earn so very often. The least he could do to make up for his cowardliness to protect his other half was to at least spend time with him however little it may be.

"I'yasu?" The short-haired blonde snapped back to reality and put on a large grin for his worried cute little brother.

"C'mon Tsu let go to my woom." As the two crawled upstairs the elder twin got a thought. "Tsu should call me aniki!" He turned to his younger counterpart excitedly. It was obvious that Tsuna was blushing furiously at the thought despite trying his best at hiding under his bangs.

"_mhn_.. but.." A flicker of hesitation flashed in the clear brown orbs. Ieyasu couldn't help but frown slightly at that, he knew why his brother was so hesitant and he hated himself for his inability to do anything. The frown quickly disappeared as he put another grin on his face to reassure the other. "Please Tsu? You can say it when just you an' me if makes Tsu feel good-er."

The hesitation was still there but it seemed to be now more due to shyness then anything. "_Mnn_.. Ok… aniwki." The words were no louder than a whisper but the blonde couldn't help but squeal as quietly at the cuteness that is his younger brother and tackle Tsuna into a hug. It was a good thing they were now in the blue-eyed child's room and no longer on the stairs. The two began to quietly giggle as they tried to untangle themselves from each other. The more energetic child jumped onto his bed as the younger of the two began to tuck him in with a small faint smile. The twins began to talk about what they did when the other wasn't around. Well it was mainly Tsuna talking about what he learned with his magic powers while a wide-eyed Ieyasu prompted him with more questions. It was a comfortable atmosphere settling between the two, it was almost like they had never been apart.

"Why you call youwr mawgic fwames wike people Tsu?"

"Hmmm… dunno, a feewing I guess." Tsuna scrunched his face up cutely as he thought deeply. "Sometimes I dweam my flames look kinda wike pewple, though they look kinda bwurry. Sky-san is the only one who wis less bwurry yu know? Plus talking to them is nice!"

The blonde nodded with a smile to cover up his confusion. He loved his brother he did really but he really couldn't seem to understand anything when it came to the brunettes use of magic. It also didn't help that Tsuna wasn't really good at communicating either.

"I.. kiwnda get it!- So what di' ya do today?"

* * *

><p>Finally the brunette came to the topic of what had happened today as well as the decision he had to make. As he finished his story he looked to see his older brother with his eyebrows uncharacteristically furrowed in deep thought.<p>

"...So awe you?"

"I.. dunno E-yasu"

A thickening blanket of silence suddenly seem to envelope the two. Each with conflicting thoughts and emotions that normal two year olds shouldn't have to fight with. They were family, it was a bond that should never break, could never break but Tsuna was like a sky. It would be cruel to chain the endless sky for a single selfish reason.

Ieyasu not wanting their long awaited reunion to go sour decided to change the subject. His brother wasn't given a time limit on his choice, they could decided later but the time they had together was limited.

"Tsu! I know! Why don't you sing me a lullaby?"

"A lullabi?" Tsuna grateful for the change in topic was a little surprised by the sudden request.

"Uhn! You told me you liked humming or singing since it helps with you magic flame control! And sometimes I get these scawy nightmares…" The last part ended in an embarrassed mumble to himself but his younger twin caught it anyway. Tsuna was still a little scarred since the incident and had been very fearful in showing his elder brother his flames again however he could never say no to his brother- especially if he whipped up his puppy eyes- a little part of himself deeply regretted having taught the blonde the skill. His own puppy eyes were still way ahead but that didn't mean he wasn't immune to those blue eyes of the other.

"B-but I don't weally know lullabies!" The brunette tried to protest.

"That's ok! Just make it up- I won't make fun of ya!" Tsuna groaned. The amount of faith and optimism his brother carried can be quite annoying at times like these.

"…Fwine.." He sighed in defeat as the blonde was jumping in his bed giggling in excitement. The younger crawled closer to the excited twin and snuggled comfortably sitting next to him. After a few minutes of deep thought and the room buzzing with the silent anticipation of the older twin who Tsuna swore acted much too childishly to be considered the older of the two, a glowing orange light formed in Tsuna's small cupped hands as he began to sing softly.

_I hear the flames across the plain_

_A sound so strong that calls my name_

His voice unlike his usually stuttering and mumbling was clear and pure much like the flame he held.

_It's wild like the lightening_

_It's warm like the sun_

The orange flame twisted to change into a sparkling yellow flame. The small hands twisted to only one hand held the flame while the other conjured another green flame that seemed to buzz with electricity. Ieyasu gasped at the display as the green flame seem to spark and fizzle around the dancing yellow. Tsuna wasn't just singing, he was putting on a show and a pretty damn captivating one at that.

_Yeah it's there_

_This is where I belong~_

A sharp pang in the blondes chest was felt as he heard those words. It especially stung when he saw the dreamy look of his twin and realising that the song came from the heart.

_Under such starry nights_

_Where the storm __clouds have flown_

A clear shimmering veil seemed to leak out of the child's left hand while the other was doing the same with a misty black fog. It covered the ceiling and the two mixed together you could see the sparkles that were hidden in the clear veil. Almost like stars in the nighttime. Once the ceiling looked like there was really the sky in the room Tsuna flicked his hand and small red flames formed on his fingertips as he threw them into the air as the blonde watched wide-eyed as they fizzled out like small fireworks.

_This place is paradise_

_It's the place I'll call home_

The brunette looked so at peace while the blonde couldn't help but stare in wonderment.

_The rain falling on the Earth_

_The mist between the trees_

_The clouds in the blue sk~y_

_Let nothing come between the~m and me_

Purple, violet, blue and orangey-red flames seemed to also join in with the bright red flames as they danced in the sky in an enthralling the young audience watching.

_Cause everything I want_

_Is everything that's here _

_And when we're all together_

_They'll be nothing to fear_

Tsuna began humming softly as soon all the flames seemed to fade away until the room was back in it's normal excited and entrance the elder of the two was he couldn't help but feel a sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched his brother. It felt like his counter part could just vanish any second and it scared him.

_But wherever I wander_

_There's one thing I know_

There was a pause as Tsuna turned to his big brother.

_It's to here-_

A small finger pointed at Ieyasu's chest where his heart was. A small orange flame flickered on the edge of the finger and as it touched the other boy he felt a soothing calm wash over him.

_-I will always_

The smile Tsuna gave seemed to be the most enchanting thing the other ever saw which was saying something after what he just experienced. It was full of love and acceptance. Like the sky he would always be there, with open arms.

_A~lways return_

* * *

><p><strong>Did you like? I hope you did!<strong>  
><strong>Ah BTW the song is <span>This is Where I Belong<span> by Bryan Adams- I changed some of the lyrics to suit the story but still if you want to hear how it's supposed to sound then I encourage you too **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sup! **

**Don't have much to say right now… hmmm oh!**

**People have pointed out to me my last chapter Tsuna's way of speaking (so sorry! it was pure laziness and autocorrect- goddamn autocorrect…) Anyway I changed it and made sure to keep it consistent. **

**Well I hope you enjoy this~**

**Please review and tell me if ya like-y XP**

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><p><span>Chapter 5: A Separation, An Old Man's Gift and Introducing the Vendice<span>

Tsuna woke up at 5am bright eyed and bushy tailed. For some reason he felt rejuvenated after that good sleep, especially since manipulating multiple flames -though only to a small extent- really wore the brunette out. After spending an hour the night before in deep thought the brunette had decided his choice.

Summoning a night flame with the inky black edges threatening to spill from his hands he quietly whispered Bermuda's name. It took a few minutes before a large black portal made from the same dark flames opened up in his room with the tall figure known as Jager walking through and the smaller baby sitting on his shoulders.

**"You've made a decision?"**

Hesitatingly the child gave a shy nod.

"And?" Jäger prodded a little rudely Bermuda thought but he too was a little impatiently curious,

Golden brown eyes that his nothing and showed everything met with the two pairs of hidden ones. "I will live with yew." A weight the the highest ranking Vindice duo didn't even know they had was lifted off their shoulders. "Howewer- I hawve a wequest" The two older males paused at that. It was rare for people to even have the gall to negotiate with them, usually only people of high status can do so and even then there must be equal exchange after all they were the Vindice. A request was unheard of, it was considered a sign of selfish weakness to ask for something with nothing in return. They allowed the child to live with them in exchange for keeping a very valuable secret but even then the deal being of equal exchange was pushing the mark a little and now the young brunette wanted a request?

**"Child we do not do requests or favours. It is on the same level as grovelling and begging. We are the Vindice and the Vindice have pride. If you want something you must give something of equal value. An eye for an eye. A life for a life. Do you understand?"**

The tone was harsh and scalding like ice, cold enough to burn. A normal child-hell a normal man would have felt the need to cry over the tone alone but Tsuna wasn't just any grain of sand on the beach. His usual wide eyes sharpened ever so slightly as he nodded absorbing the information quietly. He understood where the two were getting at, yes he felt a little regretful at his choice of words and shamed at himself for causing such disappointment but the brunette just bit his trembling lip in order to stop himself from looking even more weak. "T-Then I hawv conditiowns to my choisu."

Bermuda nodded in approval encouraging the two-year old to continue.

"I cawn visit one a mownth for twee day."

**"That... can be arranged easily."** The young kid was a little shocked at how easy the acrobelano agreed but decided not to question the other. Even Jäger was a little blindsided (however he was able to disguise it better) since Bermuda could be quite childish when he wanted to and getting him to agree to something was no easy feat.

What they didn't know was the bandaged baby had already decided to let the brunette visit his home, he was only a toddler after all and the love of a parent is considered irreplaceable. Bermuda admitted that a child carrying a night flame intrigued the man greatly but he was not so heartless to deny an innocent kid his family.

**"We will allow you till the end of the day to pack and say your farewells. Call the same way as before and we will locate your unique flame signature."**

It really wasn't required for the child to speak his name for the Vindice boss to be summoned- after all the brunette other than himself was the only night flame user. Though if the child really thought he was using magic, telling him to summon the other really helps reinforces that fantasy as he sure as hell wasn't going to be the one to tell him otherwise and destroy his dreams- that's what subordinates are for.

And with that another night flame portal opened leaving the child alone in his room.

As fast as his tiny limbs could go the brunette began packing what little material belongings he had- some clothes, his orange toothbrush, some pencils, a few pages of stickers, the two magic books and his little black notebook. It was a meager amount of stuff he owned compared to his brother but it was things filled with memories that he would never replace or throwaway for any price. Satisfied Tsuna hid his little dufflebag under the bed and crawled downstairs to inform Nana and Ieyasu of his decision.

* * *

><p>"Mama."<p>

The older woman looked down in shock partly due to the fact she hadn't even noticed when the boy had gotten so close to her and partly because said boy was actually talking to her. She couldn't explain it herself but ever since that incident what little love she held for her youngest died out, extinguished by fear and… disgust. She had always dismissed these dark feelings she held toward the brunette trying to convince herself that she did love the two equally even when she would forget the younger in preference to spoiling the blonde many a time however seeing her beloved son being burned by a fire that no matter how she thought about it came from no natural means… It was the first time she had really looked at her other child, sadly the first thing she thought of when she saw the young baby holding a blood red flame which seemed to flicker menacingly as it reflected in those brown large eyes was fear. The words demon, monster, inhuman screamed at her every time she saw him. She no longer saw the child as one of her own. He was no longer family.

She still allowed him in the house despite her lack of affection on any sort of emotional level for the young boy, after all what would the others think of her? She wasn't going to let one kid ruin her perfect home, if anyone questions why Tsuna was always left alone outside she would just smile her usual ditzy smile and reply lightheartedly just how adventure her dear Tsu-kun was, luckily barely anyone recognised him as part of the Sawada household considering how little he spends his time there and that's how she would prefer it to be.

The two had barely exchanged words unless necessary or to help the mother keep up her warm loving facade in front of others, it was a strained relationship at best but at least it came to an understanding- as long as the child kept his distance he could also keep a roof over his head. Which brings us back to the present with the brunette tagging at her pants, looking at her with those sickeningly large brown eyes that seemed to know more than they should.

"Yes Tsuna?"

The voice though to the average bystander was happy and cheery- only Tsuna could hear the hollow coldness that came from the woman. He bit his quivering lip in an attempt to repress any emotion, he wanted to cry, to act his age, to demand to be called his old loving nickname like before. But he didn't. He couldn't. He had to be strong.

"I-I will bee weaving house."

It was like he just told her that he managed to win the lottery and Christmas was here at the same time and the genuine smile on her face made his ever hopeful heart sink.

"Ara-That's great Tsuna! But you have to come home sometimes so mama doesn't have to be questioned. You don't want mama to suffer ne?"

Tsuna bit his lip so hard it was a wonder that he hadn't drawn blood yet. Disappointment welled up in him as if trying to drown his soul. No matter how aware he was, no matter how much he had been ignored, no matter how many times he had cried his heart out from the pain of neglect a large part of him still had faith in his mother- hell he still believed in her and it hurt so badly. Steeling himself he forced a smile to be plastered onto his small face.

"Uhn I wiw come bwak one a monh fwo twee day" The woman before him smiled even wider and even went so far as to ruffle the boy's fluffy brown hair. "Good child" A warmth spread in his small body filling the young boy with unreasonable unexplainable pride and joy from this one pathetic show of affection, this one meager act of love. The more logical part of him was disgusted with himself but he was after all a child and a very lonely one at that. For now he would push away reason and just enjoy these few seconds of this illusion known as love.

* * *

><p>The next person he informed of his absence was surprisingly Ryouko Chisake. After helping her find and repatch her and her daughter's relationship she became a daily visitor, always making an effort to greet or make idle chit chat with the child. They weren't close friends per say but the two were good acquaintances who enjoyed each others company as the blonde realised that despite appearances Tsuna was much more than he seemed and held a smart head on his shoulders. When he informed her of his new living arrangements she immediately picked up her phone to dial everyone telling them about the child's absence being the social butterfly she was.<p>

Soon word of the Wandering Watcher leaving Namimori spread and many people the young brunette recognised had come to meet him and thank him for his past actions as well as wish him the best for his future. It amazed Tsuna just how many people were truly touched or affected by just a meeting with a mere child such as he, even a few of the shimmering people who usually dislike being near such large amounts of the living came by just to muffle his hair and whisper their thanks and goodbyes. For the first time Tsuna didn't feel any sort of empty ache inside him- and if he could he was certainly too happy at the moment to care.

Some gave hugs, some promised to repay their favours and some gave gifts. The gifts from the locals ranged from handpicked flowers to homemade food to notebooks of very size and colour which Tsuna appreciated and accepted humbly. The most eye-opening and intriguing gifts he got were from equally eye-opening intriguing people that apparently upon hearing the child leaving had hopped onto a plane from wherever they came from to quickly visit the fluffy brunette.

* * *

><p>A monk adorned with dark orange robes Tsuna remembered saving from hunger when they met by chance at one of his visits to the Namimori temple had rushed over from Mongolia to give him three large beads that if one looked closer one could almost see a yellow flame flickering inside the glass spheres. The monk assured the child that in times of great harm he only had to break a bead and the worst of the danger would come to pass. Apparently the monk had to pull a few favours from a very powerful martial artist acquaintance to get said martial artist's equally powerful friend to help create the beads.<p>

* * *

><p>A young girl a few years older than Tsuna himself with long pink hair a while back had been told to have courage in who she was and to allow herself to love freely by a certain small brunette who approached the crying hysteric girl when no one else did; had flew over from her current job in Milan to present the child with a box of heart shaped chocolates to which she said "Like my love for my beloved these will never expire. Give them to your crush and I guarantee they will reciprocate your feelings. I wish for you to be forever loved by others." When Tsuna asked curiously about what was in them the pink haired girl simply smiled proudly saying it was her only batch of love potion that had been successfully tested. The younger of the two assumed she must have been a witch who made magic potions.<p>

* * *

><p>A scientist who struggled with his morals as well as beliefs in God and his intellectual integrity that had been reassured by a simple visit to the Wandering Watcher who let him realise he needn't have to chose one set path while completely disregarding the other, that he was his own person in this world and only he could walk his own path. The scientist had cut his research trip short and had flown from Moscow in order to give the child a dirty silver ring that seemed to hold cross shaped markings and a thin battered book that was so old it probably could turn to dust if hit by a slightly strong burst of wind. Apparently after meeting Tsuna who showed him his star flame in an attempt to convince him of the many wonders that can't be seen with a single answer the older of the two became enraptured with the flame of stars that was thought to only be from legends. His gift to the boy were artefacts he had found that would help guide the other in his exploration of the mysterious flames saying he too wanted to be a light to help guide the lost like what the brunette had done to him.<p>

* * *

><p>These and so many more people visited the Wandering Watcher in the span of one day until finally the sky began to grow pink as the sun began to set. As the boy was about to pack up his various items (he was glad that he had enough space left over in his duffle bag for the trip) a wizened old man he remembered as Talbot-sama was limping over to him at a surprisingly fast pace for someone of his age. "Tsuna- thank the ancestors I made it on time."<p>

The brunette cracked a huge smile upon seeing the strangely clad elderly man, the first time they met was at the park where Tsuna was experimenting on his magic flame manipulation. The blind man stumbled upon him when trying to trace the strange influx of flame activity in the area and they hit it off considerably well after that. Though the elder man always politely disagreed Tsuna insisted he must be a wise wizard or shaman since he knew so much about magic and curses, not to mention he made some pretty magical inventions- it also didn't help that the man dressed up with various unusual looking charms and talisman like objects usually associated with such people. In fact the child was so taken with the man he was the second person that the brunette decided to show all ten of his flames outside of his family.

"Talbot-oji sama!"

"Haaa~ I must admit I was surprised by the sudden leaving Tsuna-kun but what's done is done. I just want to give you this and wish you the best in your endeavors. Now where is it..." With his wrinkled hand he passed a very crumpled stack of hastily scribbled notes as well as a chain which hung a clear pacifier that looked similar to Bermuda's however unlike Bermuda's colorless one though this particular pacifier seemed to glint different colors depending on how the light hit. Large caramel brown eyes looked questioningly at the other individual. Recognising the feeling of a curious gaze boring into him the wizened male chuckled.

"I have been looking into a way of undoing a certain curse you see child? And honestly I was stumped before meeting you Tsuna-kun…" Tsuna waited slightly impatiently as the other paused as if trying to think. It was an annoying habit the elder man had and usually the child could let it slide but he really was very intrigued and it didn't help that the old man tended to create more questions than answers. "Anyway with your special… magic flames I realised that if you simultaneously activate all of your flames, you could agitate the curse to temporarily release it from the carrier."

Brown eyes widened and Talbot could swear he could feel sparkles were being emitted from them. It was obvious the younger of the two was excited at the idea of a curse that he could help lift with his magic, the blind man couldn't help but smile fondly if a little sadly at the innocence as he continued his explanation. "Your chain contains a… uh special charm which would help assist in weakening said curse but it would only be done by placing some of the burden onto yourself. These notes will fill you in about what I have learnt about the curse, the cursed and theories I have been working on that will help you weaken the curse- I still am unsure on how to fully lift it though." The last part was cracked with sadness in regret, it reminded the child of the other man's age. A small hand patted comfortingly on the elder's leg and though he knew the other couldn't see the brunette gave his most reassuring smile. "Talbot- oji sama I'm sure that they would be thankful for what you're trying to accomplish."

The comment wasn't flowery nor was it decorated with encouraging praise but it was truthful and filled with a warming comfort. Talbot couldn't help but grin as the words created a warm glow inside of his old aching body that seemed to promise everything would be okay. He felt almost regretful for pushing such a burden on this naive child however this unwavering strength assured him the old man had made the right decision.

* * *

><p>"Bermuda?"<p>

The familiar tingling at the back of his small neck that Tsuna has come to realize as the presence of a large amount of night flames as the portal opened to reveal the two strongest Vindice men. The sun had long gone and the moon has risen high in the night lighting up the three figures in the darkness.

**"Are you ready child?"**

Shifting nervously the small brunette nodded. Picking up his bag now filled with gifts and mementos he held his breath and stepped into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Ieyasu woke up in the middle of the night with a sinking feeling in his stomach. The blonde threw off the covers and ran to where the nagging feeling was leading him, the feeling only worsened as he realised with unbalanced steps that he was going to his younger twin's room. Stumbling into the room his blue eyes saw nothing. The usual empty room was even emptier as what little signs of someone living there had completely vanished. The only thing that even indicated a past tenant was a ripped page out of place on the floor. The child picked it up with his small shaky hands.<p>

The older twin couldn't read as well as Tsuna- hell who was he kidding he barely knew the alphabet off by heart but he recognised the scribbles to be his brother's.

Clutching the note to his heart like it was a baby bird he shuffled down heartened back to his room. Tomorrow he'll have to get mama to teach him to read since he was sure mama wasn't going to tell him truthfully what was written on the note. Ieyasu looked at the moon by his window slightly comforted with the idea that while he was separated by his counterpart at least the sky they share will be able to watch over him.

* * *

><p>Caramel brown eyes looked away from the moon to move his eyes to rest upon his new room. It was larger than his old one- not that his previous living arrangements were very spacious in the first place. There was no trace of colour in the place, a blank page, a new slate. Quietly he placed his unpacked bag next to his bed as he then tucked himself in.<p>

Tsuna looked back at the past two hours- it was more than a shock when he reentered the throne room to be greeted face to knee with what seemed to be all of the Vindice that were in the area. It was literally a sea of black top hats and bandages to the small child. As he was busy admiring the amount of Vindice in one room the brunette didn't sense the presence of Jager and Bermuda who arrived behind him. **"Welcome to Vendicare child"** The sudden booming intimidatingly deep voice with an edge like knife that simply demanded power and respect to those that heard made him jump and turned to the tall Vendice and the small baby sitting on top of his shoulder. "My name is Jager- Vindice's strongest warrior and as you know this-" Jager gestured toward the infant sitting on him "-is Bermuda Von Veckenschtein our boss." This voice was raspier yet softer reminding Tsuna of the crackling of Autumn leaves on a cool day while the other's while also raspy from lack of use seemed to contain a whisp of silkiness like melted chocolate.

Honey brown eyes blinked and then his cherubic features brightened into a small shy smile as he turned to everyone and bowed slightly before bring himself up to face them all. "Uh- My name is Sawada Tsunayoshi, please call me Tsuna and I thank you for letting me stay here!" Murmers of approval of the show of politeness broke out and though it was hard to see Tsuna sensed a few were even smiling causing him to blush slightly out of nervous embarrassment.

Small Gia stepped up and introduced himself, like his name was the shortest of the guards however despite his razor like tone that seemed to emit danger his voice was surprisingly one of the more expressive individuals. Big Pino followed suit in introducing himself as well as some others- he was the easiest to identify with his large build and strange language which the brunette swore he would learn- he loved a challenge when it came to decoding languages. One of the oldest Vindice members Alejandro was just as quiet as Tsuna remembered him to be yet his voice was cold and firm like ice, even with the spine chilling voice the child noticed almost a hint of tenderness. Jack was as loud as Alejandro was quiet, fiery as the other was icy, it was almost amusing how opposite the two were. by one each individual introduced themselves and Tsuna took to himself to try and memorize each guard's name associated with their subtle differences in appearance and voice.

It never ceased to maze the child how people can be so different despite first appearances and he was just twitching to write everything down in one of his new notebooks but restrained himself not wanting to be rude.

* * *

><p>After a lot of greetings and introductions finally it was over. Apparently it had been decided beforehand that Jack was to show the new child around and by the folds of the bandages that indicating the older man was scowling, Jack was not pleased with the duty. "Oi freaking kid c'mon, let me show ya to ya freakin room!" Tsuna assumed this guard had no qualms on keeping a quiet persona like the others since this guard's voice seemed to crack the least despite the loud volume suggesting a constant use of his voice.<p>

As they walked through the various hall toward the sleeping quarters Jack dutifully pointed out the general area of where things were and even -surprisingly-patiently answered a few stuttering questions from the smaller one. Even Jack himself was a little surprised at himself, him not liking brats was a severe understatement but somehow the kid had a calming effect on him and he begrudgingly had to admit he enjoyed and was even a little touched at how interested the other was in him and Vendicare, it also helped that the kid didn't act like a kid; more like a mature adult- no that was wrong- an adult surrounded themselves with cobwebs of lies and cruel assumptions while the brunette was still as pure and untouched as freshly fallen snow. This small fluffy brat was probably the only one who would move so willingly into the Vendicare- Jack couldn't decide if the child deserved his respect or should question the child's sanity.

When they reached to the child's room the Vindice guard expected the strange brat to complain at the small space, to whine about the lack of colour, to moan about the lack of well… anything. What he didn't expect was the kid to grin and hug him like he had given the child a gold studded mansion instead of an empty cramped room prisoners couldn't even be jealous of.

The brunette looked up to meet where the other's eyes should be, his larger brown orbs shining adorably and his whole being radiated gratefulness and happiness- something the hotheaded guard hadn't been exposed to in a long long time and to his own humiliated horror the older male could feel a warm tinge on his cheeks which could only be associated to a blush forming on his face. Quickly he gruffly muttered a goodnight and informing the young child that he would wake him up personally until they got used to a schedule. With that he left to walk toward his own room furiously trying to push away the blush still tingling on his face- he was dead for god's sakes! How could he be feeling this?!

All he knew was that Tsunayoshi was definitely a strange freaking brat.

* * *

><p>Tsuna snuggled into his new bed. It wasn't per say uncomfortable but it was unsettlingly unfamiliar. He missed his home, he would be lying if he didn't. Maybe the child would have felt better if he gave the note to Ieyasu in person but he knew it would hurt too much in his small heart if he did that.<p>

In order to distract himself he took out the gifts he received from Talbot. He realised the chain had a hook which served to make a necklace in which the boy wore admiring how colours seemed to shimmer off the pacifier every time moonlight bounced off it. Excitedly he pulled out the notes absentmindedly wondering at the back of his mind how the elder man could write such detailed albeit very messy notes when he was blind.

On the top of the first page in large writing Tsuna murmured and traced over the words in wonder as his inner flames flared up inside him whispering to him the significance of the words and how crucial it would be to his and many other's futures. What he didn't know was how the moment he read those words so many paths closed up and just as many hidden ones revealed themselves.

_**The Curse of The Arcobaleno**_

_**Trying to Lift the Rainbow**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey guys! - wow this is waay longer than expected. Seriously. **

**I am not a huge huge fan of this chapter myself but it was necessary (I think) and I do hope you enjoy it**

**I swear to god one day I'm going to post a nice cute chapter that doesn't involve sad topics like loneliness and stuff sadly this is not one of those days...**

**Btw Tsuna at this stage is able to kind of walk- as long as someone else supports him and talk with only a few baby like mannerisms- I love how you guys are able to point out these details but I maaaayy have kinda been a bit lazy so sometimes the baby-like talking will not be shown and stuff. (Plus dramatic effect is lowered when I have to make the dialogue all cutesy but I tried keeping simple words)**

**Also warning for severe Vindice OOCness because I have no clue about then (well thats not what you want to hear) so please give constructive criticism on what ya think. **

**Anyway enjoy~**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6: A Breakfast, A Burst of Emotion, And A Small New Sky<span>

_*knock* *knock*_

"OI FREAKING BRAT GET UP OR I'M BREAKING THE FREAKIN DOOR DOWN!"

Tsuna immediately jolted up from his very rude, very loud awakening. Drowsily he rubbed his lidded eyes as he realised he was surrounded by Talbot's messily written notes. He was usually an early riser but the child had been immersed and mesmerised with the many theories and histories revolving around the curse, it seemed so fantastical, so magical that the young child's mind practically went into an imaginative overdrive. The brunette had easily managed to connect dots to the fact that Bermuda was one of the current Cursed Ones thanks to the man's strange appearance and Pacifier though he still didn't for the life of him understand what role the other Vindice played giving him an irritating itch at the back of his mind when he finally drifted off to sleep.

Quickly he jumped from his bed, hastily collecting the scattered pages and carefully stuffing them in his bag along with his own crystal pacifier. Something inside him was warning him against revealing this secret to the others… At least not right now.

He packed it at the bottom of the bag just in time as Jack burst open quite rudely and strode into the room.

Jack couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the startled child before him. Tsuna's hair was even messier than before as it stuck up well- everywhere and the kid was wearing orange and white striped pajamas which were a little too over sized for such a small figure. What really sealed the deal was the wide-eyed deer in the headlights expression like the brunette was just caught doing something bad. "_Tch_ kid if you wanna survive this place ya gotta stop looking so damn... Transparent."

That seemed to snap the brunette out of whatever self induced coma he was in however as the child seem to once again stare at the taller man something seemed amiss. His eyes no longer reflected guilt but a mix of what seemed to be confusion, intrigue and fear.

"...Jack-san?"

* * *

><p>When Tsuna snapped out of his stunned self he realized that the person - or what remained of a person - before him sounded very familiar to Jack. However instead of the usual full on bandages, long black cloak and top hat the individual in front of him had loosely wrapped bandages that exposing charred darkened skin, stitched up flesh and jet black eyes. The man was wearing black jeans and a slightly ripped leather jacket revealing a stone shaped pacifier that hung from his neck, he also had a very long silver chain wrapped around his torso. His hair was messy and coarse with faded red streaks that suggested he used to have a dark red pigment in his locks a long, long time ago.<p>

"...Jack-san?"

The Vindice guard was confused at the question for a second. "_HaA~AaahH?_ of course it's freaking me! Why on earth would yo-" He stopped himself as he realised he wasn't wearing his usual uniform. 'Well shit.' It had been his day off and through sheer habit he had dressed casually instead of opting for his stuffy outfit. After all it wasn't like there were outsiders to judge him. Oh. _Wait_.

Scowling at the still wide-eyed kid he shifted uncomfortably under the surprisingly intense gaze. He as well as every other Vindice were very self conscious with their appearance; it was not only aesthetically unpleasant and downright horrifying to look at but it was a reminder of their burdens, their curse, their death. But now since the kid saw his true form he was going to be forced to hear the child scream bloody murder and cower in fear every time they meet constantly reminding him of the undead monster he was. Not that he would blame him- Jack remembered revisiting his long time lover hoping she would still accept who he was , only to be cruelly rejected through a series of terrified screams and wails. 'Great. And I was just starting to not hate the freaking brat too.'

Inwardly Jack cringed getting ready for the high-pitched sound only dolphins and frightened children could make. He waited. And waited. After about thirty seconds the Vindice guard was getting a little impatient- maybe the kid's the type to be scared into silence?

"Umm... Jack-san? Are you okay? You look hurt? Should you go to the doctor?!" That made him pause. The hotheaded Vindice looked at the child whose eyes expressed a varied mix of emotions. But he realised the brunette wasn't scared _of_ him but was scared _for_ him. It was heartwarming even to Jack who didn't even posses a beating heart to warm.

However now a new sense of anxiety plagued the older male. How could he explain this situation to a mere child?! Could he understand? Would he still be as accepting, as unafraid, as _warm_?

There was always the option of lying to the young'n but there was something about the fluffy child that told him that lies won't work on the other. However telling the truth didn't look exactly appealing either.

"Jack-san?"

"I'm dead."

"..oh."

If the Vindice guard hadn't been ingrained to not show emotion in front of outsiders he would have ran to the nearest dark corner to cringe at himself the moment he accidentally blurted out the words. The silence was suffocatingly awkward after that as he sunk into regret, reliving the last minute and mentally listing an other thing he could have said that would have resulted in a_ less_ awkward confrontation. Thankfully Tsuna decided to be the first one to break the silence.

"... So." The brunette gave a soft gentle smile like someone _hadn't_ just told him the person in front of him was an undead rotting corpse. " Shawll we go eat breakky?"

"...uh." Was Jack's very intelligent response.

* * *

><p>There was no cafeteria in Vendicare, since the Vindice guards don't need to consume food other than Bermuda and the prisoners who are in the state to consume food usually get served in their cells. So instead the two quietly walked to the kitchen in awkward tense silence. It was even more awkward since Tsuna still couldn't walk properly so Jack had been forced to hold hands with the kid resulting in more than a few strange looks in their direction. Finally they arrived at the kitchen where two woman and a man ranging from late twenties to late thirties were working busily with only the sound of sizzling and cooking between them. Tsuna noticed the lack of smiles in the room, despite the flurry of activity there was a heavy atmosphere that lacked the buzzing of energy the boy was so familiar with in a kitchen which is further emphasized with the wall to wall of greys that decorated the kitchen. Finally after a few bustling minutes one of the females noticed with slight surprise the strange duo waiting politely by the open door. She tilted her head questioningly which made Tsuna realise that the trio possibly were all mute which would definitely explained the lack of talking present, not that there probably would be any conversation if they could talk.<p>

While the brunette was mentally writing down his observations and theories about the chefs Jack stepped into the kitchen. "Oi" The tone was a little more subdued from his usual fierceness. "This freaking kid needs to eat." A look of confusion flashed upon the woman's face as well as the other two cooks who by then had stopped to watch the interaction, quickly however their curiosity was pushed down to be replaced with a mask of emotionless compliance- something that unnerved the young boy though he chose not to show it, in fact he was sure the male next to him felt the same given the strange tone of his voice.

The food given to Tsuna was simple but not completely unappealing, just a bowl of rice, a few strips of dried fish and some pickled vegetable sides. At least he had more to eat than if he stayed at home. Not wanting to look impolite he flashed a grateful smile at the chefs who seemed to pause for a moment then nod their head in acknowledgement before moving back to their tasks at hand. The pair left, food in hand to find a comfortable- or comfortable as you can in a prison- place to sit and eat in peace. Not many other guards passed them as they walked on 'Probably busy with their duties' Tsuna mused as he absentmindedly tried recalling the names of the guards who did pass.

"Oi."

"hmmm? Oh Jack-san what about hewe?"

"Yeah. Sure whatever. "

The young child plopped down onto the cold hard floor as he snuggled in-between the corner of the hall. He'd always liked darkened corners like this, it was easier to snuggle into than just a flat wall, plus being in the corner kind of gave Tsuna the idea that the room was hugging him- something he barely experienced in his short life. It was comforting.

Big brown eyes looked at his temporary guardian expectedly. Jack sighed as he too sat next to the two-year old watching as the brunette began to enthusiastically dig in.

"Oi."

"hmm?"

"Aren't you.." The older of the two hesitated "Scared?"

"Of what?" That seemed to trigger something as the undead man turned sharply to face the still eating child incredulously and a little upset. This was a seriously sensitive topic for him and the fact that this, this brat was being so damn dismissive when he was pulling at his nerves here! Well it was enough to make anyone more than a little pissed.

"Of what?! Of this!" He gestured to his appearance. "Of me! I. Am. Dead. Aren't you horrified? Disgusted?" Tsuna just watched the angered Vindice guard, his food forgotten. Other Vindice that had overheard had begun crowding at a distance but Jack was either too lost in his usually controlled emotions to notice or didn't care. The hate that controlled him was fuelling him onwards. " Don't you think I'm a _monster_?! A _freak_?! Why-"

He paused mid-rant as two small yet warm hands firmly cupped his badly bandaged cheeks. A pair of large caramel eyes gazed into the darker than night ones and Jack could have swore he saw a flash of orange in the other's.

"Is that what you think of yourself?" It was still soft-spoken however the usual mildness and timidity was nowhere to be found, instead a low serious tone replaced it. The child looked the other dead in the eyes, his expression not pitying but sorrowful like he was hurt that the other thought so low of himself. The elder's mouth suddenly found his mouth dry, it was crazy how a cute kid like this could be so damn intimidating- and coming from him that was saying something. Not really trusting his mouth he hesitantly shook his head. The hands on his face loosened and fell back to the child's side, a little part of the undead man wanted those small hands to stay where it was though, the warmth was comforting.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Jack's voice had lost his usual vigour and heat. It was uncharacteristically quiet and it cracked much more than before as if finally showing the man's true age as he carried the burdens of his experiences. The crowd of other Vindice shuffled slightly closer also intent on hearing this child's answer. They had all been through the feeling of betrayal and rejection that came from becoming who they were today and no one there had ever really recovered from such emotional damage. How could such a young naive child possibly handle the years upon years of their darkness and hatred.

"No. No it doesn't" Tsuna's gaze never once wavered, his eyes strangely a slight shade orange-r and intense. "You still have souls do you not? You still have the Vindice pride you hold so strongly. And who would I be to judge your appearances and past? To reject a person who I barely know? Yesterday you were kind and willing to be patient to my questions. Nothing since then has changed that fact or my opinion of you." His voice was clear and even with his expression not betraying even a hint of hesitation, making it as clear as night that he had meant every word. It was like everybody watching could feel fresh air in their lungs since the first time they died, maybe even longer ago but it felt like they could breath again. It felt like though the weight still hung over their shoulders it had gotten lighter, a small part of it lifted up by those words that so clearly accepted them for who or what they are. The serious rigid features softened on the child's face as a soft small smile graced him. "I don't care what you look like nor will I push you to tell me what scarred you so deeply in the past. None of that matters. Jack-san is Jack-san and I know he's a good person."

A warm silence seemed to settle over the scene until the sound of hoarse laughter tore it down.

* * *

><p>The laugh was loud and raspy but it was full of something unfamiliar- feeling. Jack couldn't remember the last time he laughed so heartily as he hit Tsuna on the back causing the kid to almost topple face first in his unfinished food. The adorable pout that adorned the childlike features made the Vindice guard laugh even harder, enjoying the feeling of happiness that fluttered inside his body. The other must have noticed how relaxed the other was compared to before where the male would always hold a tenseness in his shoulders. Soon both were laughing ridiculously and even a few of the bystanders couldn't help but crack a rare smile or fail to stifle a chuckle at such a heartwarming scene. The young child so small and fragile had managed to open the doors that had been locked and rusted over decades of hatred- even if it was just a crack wide- to their hearts.<p>

As the two walked back to the kitchen with Tsuna's empty plates in hand the child couldn't help but ask a question that had been nagging at him, well he had many questions plaguing him but the child was very aware they were a lot more sensitive and delicate compared to this particular one- he'll ask a little later, when he feels the time is right and for now he'll just make his own conclusions. "Ne Jack-san?" Jack responded by glancing toward him for a second. "Can you eat?" A look of incredulity so apparent flashed across the other making the smaller one blush as he felt embarrassed by his question.

"I_ am_ dead remember? I don't have to eat." The fact it was pointed out so obviously made Tsuna blush harder.

" Y-yes buwt you say you dow't 'ave to eat - not that yew cawn' t." That made the taller of the two pause slightly. He had never really tried eating after he died- after all he really didn't get an urge to eat. However thinking about it would eating food really affect him? It's not like he could die from it. God it sucked that almost none of the smarter Arcobalenos ever survived the removal of their pacifiers- at least they would probably have tried experimenting with their bodies to test their limits if they too weren't busy immersing in revenge and hatred like the rest of them.

"_Heh_ I guess I probably can." The Vindice guard couldn't help the twitch at the ends of his mouth, honestly he had lived decades full of hatred and the need for revenge with never an expression except the occasional scowl or sneer until this child came along. It had only been a single morning with the brunette and already he had showed more emotion than all his years since his body had been mangled by Checkerface. He had smiled, he showed vulnerability- things which was almost unheard of for someone of his standing here but most importantly a little part of him felt almost healed. Like a little part of him felt more open to be more… _human_ and he didn't feel any regret for that.

Tsuna gave a wild grin as something seemed to click in his mind. "Ok! Then when I get older I pwomise to make your favorowite dish for yew to eat!" Though it sounded very childish and naive the older could recognise a determined voice when he heard it. The twitch grew to a full smile, he couldn't help it- this boy could melt a glacier with his smile. He coughed quickly to hide the smile, he still really wasn't ready to be this emotionally open yet- years of masking himself does that to you after all- but he did ruffle the gravity-defying brown hair as if subtly trying to express how cute he thought the small child was. Jack was a little surprised how soft the other's hair was and found himself enjoying the feeling. "_Tch_. You better learn how to make a good okonomiyaki (a savoury japanese pancake) then brat." Said brat only responded with an even wider smile as they finally reached the kitchen.

'Hmph he really is a strange kid.' He watched the child politely thank the chefs for the meal and if he knew better he swore they blushed. Of course putting Tsuna in the equation really skewed his perspective. The urge for his mouth to twitch upwards had to be quickly brushed away with self control but if one looked really hard there was a glint in those pitch black eyes. 'A strange kid indeed. But not a bad one.'

* * *

><p>"Bermuda wishes for your presence Tsuna-sama" Tsuna looked up from his corner where he was chatting happily with Jack and a few other Vindice who had nothing else better to do and were curious of the child. They were in the middle of telling stories about their jobs censoring the more gory parts but when they realised the brunette seemed enraptured with detail and unaffected to it they didn't exactly completely skip over the parts either, feeling a sense of pride every time they looked at the widening, adoring eyes of the youngest. Ever since Jack's little emotional outburst a week ago word spread about the young child and his touching acceptance to their appearance. The few female Vindice were immediately taken to the adorable kid as well cooing at his appearance and big doe eyes and though the other guards won't admit it even at their graves they too felt taken to such a fluffy child. To them a person so kind was rare in their company which usually comprised of lawbreaking prisoners and emotionally dead not to mention undead people and though most were still hesitant around the little one there was definitely a more relaxed atmosphere around him.<p>

"Please Fusao-san call me Tsuna" The Vindice guard help but shuffle slightly as he felt an unfamiliar feeling of happiness hit him, it was amazing how this small kid had managed to commit as many names in his memory and even be able to identify them in their almost identical uniforms. Sometimes even the other guards can have trouble finding other people when all were dressed in uniform. It was another of the many reasons many of the guards have grown to feel something akin to affection to the kid, being with the endearing child brought out the more human side they never realised they still had.

"Ah yes sorry Tsuna-sa, I mean Tsuna." The two year old smiled and lifted up his hands as a gesture for the other to help pull the small child onto his feet and they all swore their teeth rotted a little more at the exposure to such a sweet smile. "Haai~ Shall we go then?" With just a nod the Vindice guard pulled the boy up from his sitting position and they left hand-in-hand but not without the small figure quickly turning back to wave goodbye at the group behind him who also absentmindedly waved back before dispersing to their usual routine.

Tsuna felt a mix of apprehension and excitement as they neared the throne room. He hadn't seen the cursed boss since he first was introduced to everyone. He couldn't wait to start training but he was also aware that he knew some secrets about them that they would probably rather not want him to know. He had a sneaking suspicion that the Vindice guards were the end result of the curse as he noticed that every guard had mangled corpse like appearances and held a stone pacifier around their necks, he had no idea how such a tragedy happened to them but he knew he wanted this cruel cycle to end. He had grown to like the quiet company despite only being here for a week and he could clearly see the pain and anguish hidden under their carefully calculated masks and it hurt him. It hurt him to see them suffering. And in order to even be a spark of hope he had to practice, to train and to experiment with his magical flames.

So lost in thought the young boy didn't even notice he was just standing in front of the door to the throne room, his guide already left to return back to his duties. "Young one are you alright? I think it would be easier to open the door with your hands rather than your eyes." Tsuna snapped back into reality and turned around to see a patiently waiting Jager though he did notice a slight smirk marring his features. Instead of looking cutely annoyed at himself for daydreaming the brunette observed the appearance of the Strongest Vindice Warrior's true form which over the week he had never seen.

Jager's flesh though scarred was dark indicating he probably used to have olive brown skin which would have looked beautiful on his tall yet muscular figure and dark wavy raven-hair. It seemed the man was aware and proud of his model-like figure as he wore no shirt but instead covered himself in bandages which were still a little loosely wrapped exposing his ribs that seemed to be ripped only on the left side of his torso. His pants black leather that was decorated with more bandages fashionably placed and while he held his Night Chain in his hand his torso was also covered in chains that seemed to purposely show off and highlight his features. His bandages barely covered the features of his face revealing more rotted flesh and his eyes which one of them are strangely inverted in colour with white pupils and black sclera while the other was normal with the usual pitch black iris. What was even more curious was that parts of his mouth showed signs of being sewed. Like the others he carried a stone pacifier on his neck however he still wore his top hat that like Bermuda was wrapped in bandages which probably meant that Jager was around the same standing as the Boss.

The taller male looked down to observe the small child who he noticed was doing the exact same thing as him. Big caramel brown eyes that seem to hide nothing with their foolish naivety, angelic features, gravity defying chestnut brown hair and a healthy glow so out of place in Vendicare. Jager like Bermuda was a founder of the Vindice and has seen many things come and go with nothing but an expressionless mask to adorn his features yet here he was smirking amusedly at this child who could easily pass off as a little lost animal. Something about the kid made him smile, made him feel something other than hatred and he knew the others were also feeling the change with some more comfortable with it then others. Personally he felt no qualms with a little change in such a dreary setting but the problem here was how fast this was occurring - it had only been a week since the brunette arrived and even the most composed guards seemed to crack a small smile whenever the young kid decided to talk to them or even just walk past. It both unnerved and amused the man however he still felt confident that when it came down to it the Vindice will be able to shut down their emotions and return to their old personas in the name of revenge, spending time with the little albeit charming young child will not change that.

* * *

><p>"Ah! Good aftwenoon Jager-san!" After realising how long the two had stood and stared at the other in silence Tsuna on instinct quickly gave out his greetings flashing a shy smile. "I was told Bermuda-san wished to see me." The taller male just nodded and helped with opening the heavy door that lead to the throne room. There the bandaged baby was sitting on his respective throne patiently waiting for the two. When the arcobaleno caught sight of them he nodded in acknowledgement which the duo responded in kind.<p>

**"Child. Come closer."** No hesitation was in the young one's steps despite being in the presence of two very intimidating figures which Bermuda couldn't help but appreciate, the child definitely had either a very oblivious nature or had a strong inner strength. He had suspicions it was a little of both. **"You wished to train under me?"** Small shoulders seemed to tense at the question and those large eyes seemed to shift slightly in nervousness. "No."

That drew some surprise. **"No?"** The honeyed brown eyes finally looked straight into the other's it's gaze warm and determined. "I wish to learn from you. To train _with_ you." A small eyebrow was raised underneath bandages at the answer though it was mainly derived from amusement and not offence.

**"Child is it not the same thing?"**

"No- Twaining _under_ you fewls wrong. Sometwing doesn't feel right with that.." His face scrunched up adorably as he tried to find the words to explain his meaning. The Vindice Boss however understood clearly even if the smaller child didn't. It was a matter of pride. He wished not to be seen as a lesser being but as an equal. Bermuda did _not_ smile not even slightly. He was better than that. He did _not_ feel something akin to affection or warmth in his body when he realised this. He was the boss of the most powerful feared group after all. He did _not_ think how cute and fluffy the child was and he certainly did _not_ just have the urge to hug the kid and ruffle his soft looking hair.

**"I understand child. You do not need to go on."** Jumping down from his extravagant throne full of furs and such he stood face to face with the brunette. **"I will explain my knowledge of Night Flames to you but I must warn you I will not be lenient in my teachings."** If Tsuna was anxious he sure didn't show it as he gave an unrestrained enthusiastic smile that seemed to brighten up the grey room. This time Bermuda wasn't ashamed to admit he showed a faint shadow of a smile- really this kid would be the death of them.

The two infants moved toward the training grounds that were located on a lower floor which Tsuna had never been to. Most of the guards barely used the place since they had learnt to have full control over their Night flames after being revived and had long given up on training an already dead body and only a few ever come down every once in a while to indulge in a sense of nostalgia or to release any unnecessary emotions plaguing them. As expected the place was completely empty which was perfect since there would be minimal damage if the inexperienced child accidentally lost control.

**"The Night flame is a unique type of flame used by a select few-"** Bermuda began explaining once they entered the grounds. Tsuna listened enraptured and Jager watched the scene amused at a distance- even when the Vindice Boss was an arcobaleno that held one of the flames of the sky he'd never taken an apprentice of any kind. It would be interesting on how things would move on now.** "-the use of the flame is governed by a set of laws personally enforced by the Vindice. The first is to use the Flame, one must have a physical body, the second is the flame is fed off negative emotions so only people with enough of that is able to properly wield the flame and third the user of the flame must have a strong resolve to protect with their Vindice pride."**

Dark flames covered small bandaged hands as they flexed open. **"As you can see it has the distinct appearance of a heavy, inky darkness and an energy output higher than any other Flame currently in use, thus it can easily overpower the other Flames."** Brown eyes widened and the two older males could swear they felt the waves of adoration and admiration coming off the small figure. "So it's one of the best flames?" The other two felt a strange smug feeling of satisfaction at that, however they decided to not answer for fear of feeding their ego all the more. **"*_ahem_* yes well moving on. It causes explosive bursts of energy when used-"** The dark flame condense and was thrown across the room leaving a small crater in the strengthened grey walls. **"-can be capable of decimating entire areas in a violent burst of power. Now-"** Bermuda lifted his flame covered hand up and moved it in a circular motion creating a portal filled by Night flames.** "It can also connect different areas through portals for a quick escape. Another offensive option with the flame is the ability for it to coat the user, increasing their base power level."** With that Bermuda finished covering the basics of his night flame. Tsuna seemed to be quickly absorbing the information as he nodded quietly to himself. The holder of the clear pacifier wondered how such an innocent young child become a night flame user, Tsuna didn't look like someone who came from any sort of dark background of course living as long as he had the arcobaleno knew he couldn't judge by appearances alone. He knew that better than anyone.

However what really intrigued the bandaged baby was that Night flames were usually an accompaniment flame meaning- the child held more than one type.

"Bermuda-san I have a question."

**"Go ahead child"**

"What if-" the brunette hesitated but quickly seemed to shrug it off with a burst of courage. "What if I had more than one magic flame? I-is that strange?" When he asked the question the child seemed so small.. So damn vulnerable and both makes could clearly see that this question held more weight than it seemed. With a reassuring pat on the brunette's head Bermuda gave an uncharacteristic and rare smile. They could sympathize with this child's problems after all- even Jäger moved closer yet still at a comfortable distance as if mentally trying to comfort child.

**"Tsuna."** Said kid looked at the arcobaleno genuinely surprised that the other had referred to him by name, the arcobaleno was pretty surprised himself but he didn't take it back either. **"You are neither more different nor similar to anyone else. Having more than one flame is a little unusual but not rare."** The younger of the trio still looked unsure at those words.** "Look."** Bermuda flicked his hand and a violet colored flame covered his hand as it flickered violently. Jäger also flicked his hand to reveal a bright blue flame though it only weakly flickered before pathetically dying out. Before Tsuna could question it the Vindice warrior answered the unspoken question. **"Since we were revived with Night flames it became our major flame type greatly weakening our ability to use our previous flame."** The last part of the statement seemed almost bittier but the young brunette decided not to point that out.

With a little more confidence in himself Tsuna took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he concentrated in bringing out his flames, relishing the warm feeling that came from letting his flames out as they flickered on his fingertips. It had been a whole week since he had used them all and frankly it had been a week too long for his liking. When all were brought out together it felt good like he was in harmony with everything. The two year old finally opened his eyes and froze.

When Bermuda and Jager saw the night flame flickering on the small child's finger they leaned in to see an orange flame covering the finger next to the other. It was a pleasant surprise but not a shock to see a Sky flame user especially one with such pure flames, it did explain why they felt so close to the kid as he on some level reminded them of their own Skys however they had to raise their eyebrows when _another_ flame this time of a dark earthy-red colour began to flicker on another finger. By the end it was surprising they managed to even hold onto their crumbling masks of composure as not two, not three but _ten_ different flames had been sparked. They weren't even aware there were even ten flames in existence! It was both a beautiful yet frightening sight to behold.

When the child finally opened his big honeyed eyes as if waking from a peaceful sleep he suddenly tensed as if sensing how uncomfortable and shocked the two before him were. For someone of such a young age he really was very perceptive though right now he would have traded this gift for anything in order to achieve the sweet bliss of ignorance.

"Y-you said that it wasn't strange." Tsuna's voice was low and hurt. The flashes of memory on that incident came back to him the moment he saw their expressions. That seemed to snap the duo back to the young, very vulnerable child before them. They suddenly understood the loneliness that seemed to emit in his Night flames and they too wanted to help ease the pain if only a little. Throwing away their masks, their stone-like frigid personas to show the little emotion they still contained they moved closer to the child and hugged tightly albeit a little awkwardly due to lack of practice. Despite the clumsy attempt at a hug it was comforting and soothing and something seemed to ease in the child making his tense shoulders relax. The memories that resurfaced had seemed to burn away into ashes as Tsuna focussed on the present warmth that was acceptance and unconsciously a few tears streamed down his eyes.

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><p>Quietly the trio broke away from the hug their reactions ranged from coughing in their hand, awkwardly rubbing the back of their neck, quickly wiping away a few stray tears and looking away from the other two in an attempt to cover up their embarrassment and the fact they actually enjoyed the moment of intimacy. None of them was used to such closeness from anyone and though they didn't regret it, it still felt strange and foreign to them.<p>

"So… Now what?"

The older males thought about the answer to that question. Finally Bermuda spoke first.

**"**You will be free to use the training ground area as you please if you wish to practice alone. I** will also still teach you how to control your Night flames."** Tsuna seemed to feel a wave of relief wash over him. **"And we will have to inform the other Vindice about your… _gift_."** The wave froze over and the cold seep of anxiety slipped in. Upon seeing the reaction the arcobaleno's bandaged features softened slightly and Jager ruffled the child's hair gently.

**"We assure you that my subordinates will not shun you or deem you anything less than human. We too have experienced our fair share of such abuse and are understanding to the insecurity you are feeling now." **

Jager- not one to just watch by the sidelines also stepped up. "Though we may have lost full usage with our previous flames we will do our upmost to impart our knowledge of our skills." Tsuna looked up gratefully at the two and they swore to themselves they felt something flutter in their chests.

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><p>At the unexpected news about the potential and flames of the small newcomer the Vindice members were undeniably surprised but just as accepting as their bosses. They had grown to like the innocent child and his multitude of flames just made the brunette seem even more precious and gave a surging need to protect the spark of life in those wide caramel brown eyes.<p>

On some level they knew they had accepted him as their sky. It was a small fragile Sky to say the least but it had accepted the likes of them.

The Night was not feared by the little Sky.

The Night that was feared and scorned by all had been accepted with warmth and light for the first time.

And for that alone the Night will protect their little Sky until it grows big and strong enough to also stand proudly by the Night.

For that is the duty of the Night.

To protect their small new Sky.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey hey! - urgh these chapters just keep getting longer and ****longer..**

**Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter- I'm kind of … on it so I would like any comments or suggestions or something please XD **

**Ummm just saying I'm planning to put bits and pieces in that will not be in chronological order (not in this chapter but in the future sometime) I hope you like it?**

**Also yes this will probably be all27 type fic but if I write as Tsuna get's older I'll be writing an alternate series story thing where I'll put _what-if_ pairings. e.g What if in this story Bermuda and Tsuna got together? or Reborn? or..? (So it's pretty much my shippings which I couldn't decide on doing in the original story so 'm doing them all in that one.) ;P**

**Ok… Do I have anything else to say… ah! Don't be shy to ask questions - I'll be willing to answer to the best of my abilities (I won't always answer back tho cuz 'm lazy) and-**

**ENJOY**

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><p><span>Chapter 7: A Coma, A Hug And A Deck of Cards<span>

"O-oi Small Gia maybe we should stop for a freaking while?"

_*gasp* *wheeze* *gasp*_

"I agree it could be counterproductive if we continue this further."

_*cough* *gasp*_

"Are you kidding?! The whole point of this was to beat him half to death! How on earth are we going to allow him to fully access his dying will flames?!"

"He's bleeding! Couldn't you- you know _NOT_ slashed so deep?! What if he gets scarred?!"

"Wha- ARE YOU _KIDDING_ ME?! HOW CA-"

"_*cough*_ … Gia-san.." All coal black eyes moved to the bleeding injured child slumped on the wall. His legs trembling barely able to stand upright, his breathing laboured and uneven. However his eyes flashed a bright orange as it narrowed with determination. "One… _*wheeze*_ One more tiwme."

The spiky haired short Vindice guard couldn't help but grin proudly at the strong willpower. It seemed the shrimp definitely carried the Vindice pride in him. Smug he sent an arrogant look at his audience of other guards that seemed to be flitting around like mother hens or glaring at him like he was committing a hate crime. "Told ya that he's strong enough to handle this!" Quickly he returned his attention to his tiny opponent with a sadistic grin as he licked the blood off his blade with his lizard like tongue. "_Kekeke_ Now chibi ya better not disappoint ya big brother Gia~."

Not even a split second after the tongue left the sharp edge the knife immediately swiped at the brunette who managed to barely dodge the blade with only a fine cute to show from it. Apparently the child was very good at sensing as well as reading his opponents movements, unfortunately his reaction time wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't good enough against people of such skill. Another swipe, a stab, a barrage of slashes each dodged by a hairsbreadth though Tsuna seemed to get a little faster each time. Suddenly the pattern was broken as his opponent sent a swift kick to the small figure, the child's large brown eyes widened as he failed to react. A sickening _*crack*_ was heard as again the young boy slumped to the ground. Small Gia _tch_ed in annoyance as he walked toward the unmoving body, ignoring the small pinprick of guilt in his mind.

"One… More…" Guilt melted into irritation toward the persistent child. "Don't be stupid kid- If you can't do it now I don't expect ya to be able to anytime soon." He could feel the harsh glares of the more protective Vindice- actually all the Vindice- _god_ haven't they ever heard of tough love?!- but he chose to ignore it. As he was about to turn and leave the training ground a sudden sharp surge of power could be felt and for a second everyone seemed to collectively hold their breath. "One… More…" Tsuna's eyes were no longer caramel brown but a vibrant bright orange set in determination despite being covered in his own blood. A small orange flame flickered on top of his forehead and the trembling small body began to stand once more and resume a defensive position he had recently learnt.

The shocked scowl Gia unknowingly held on his face morphed into one of his usual grins however some of its sadistic edge softened as his eyes flickered with acknowledgement and even a little admiration for the tenacious being. Once more he flicked his knife and charged toward the child finding to his delight the boy parrying the movements with short bursts of his Sky flame and dodging the slashes with the flexibility of a snake. As once more Small Gia faked a stab and instead pulled a last minute kick however to the Vindice's surprise he felt a sudden hot burn in his chest, it was strong enough for the older male to hesitate in carrying out his move and step back carefully to asses the situation.

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><p>Tsuna was tired. No that was a sore understatement to what he was feeling. He was absolutely exhausted and the stinging pain from where sweat met with his open wounds were only making his small limbs scream louder to just give up. But he didn't, he wouldn't. He wanted to protect what was precious to him, to have the strength to uphold what little he had and to at the very least not hinder the people who had showed him such kindness and acceptance. There was no such thing as waiting for miracles to happen or just simply depend and trouble the others, he will grow bigger faster so he could help the people he had grown to adore. It had only been such a short amount of time the brunette had begun living with the Vindice and it took an even frighteningly shorter time for both parties to grow attached to the other. This feeling was unknown territory for the child and it truly scared him that he would one day be forced out of the dark yet deceivingly warm embrace of the night.<p>

When he saw Small Gia turning around to leave a cold dark doubts and fears tightened in his heaving chest, he wanted to scream out, to reach out but his body was holding him down. Tsuna needed to be stronger to catch up with the others. He too wanted to uphold the Vindice Pride- even if it costs him his life.

* * *

><p>A sudden heat flared up in him as his resolve hardened, he could feel all ten of his flames ablaze as something at the back of his mind seemed to shatter and unseal the restriction in his small body. Energy and adrenaline pumped into his veins as his mind seemed to clear.<p>

He was aware of the subtle mix of conflicting emotions in the usually stoic bystanders watching- confusion, worry, surprise and pride- but most of all he could see the appreciative, proud gaze of the usually hard to please sadistic Vindice before him.

He'd seen an opening as the experienced fighter drew back his leg to launch an attack and without even thinking, acting on pure instinct alone the young child lurched forward his fist burning with high density Sky flames that burned even brighter upon contact. Unknowingly a small faint smile was found on cut lips as he finally after all the dodging and parrying he had landed a hit on his opponent. True Small Gia was going easy on the child but the accomplishment was still nonetheless impressive.

Orange eyes looked into darker than night one's. He could see in the seemingly impassive face a hint of a smile- not a sadistic grin but a true smile on the other, however it could have been his eyes playing tricks as his visioned started to blur and simultaneously he felt his body become heavy and pained. There was the sound of quick paced steps in the background and a feeling of air rushing past his face. The last thing Tsuna remembered was being lifted up in a comfortably snug embrace, a croaky voice with an almost sharp edge rumbled out of the warm surroundings.. "_Tch_. You did good chibi." A tired smile graced Tsuna's cherubic features at the words, sighing content he allowed his vision to finally dim into the darkness as the surrounding voices faded into a buzz of sounds and then nothing.

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><p>The whole of Vendicare seemed to be under a dark cloud- well a larger darker cloud than before. It had been four days since their beloved little Sky had collapsed from over exhaustion after finally accessing his true flame potential not to mention his tiny hands had suffered serious first degree burns.<p>

When they first started training six months ago they found to their frustration that though the child could willingly bring out any of his flames upon command and intense concentration the output of the flames were weak- even the most destructive offensive based flames like Storm, Cloud and Night could only at best make small dents or create minor burns no matter how hard he tried. At first they dismissed it as age and the weak body restricting itself to minimise any internal damage so instead they focussed on teaching the brunette the more physical aspects such as learning to walk, basic defines and offensive techniques and so on. However even with the training the little boy's flames grew no stronger, it made sense why the now quite attached guards were getting a little agitated not to mention worried. They were the Vindice and before that they were Arcobaleno- the idea of failure or things not going to plan was a very rare and even more unwelcome concept to them.

During the three days Tsuna left to visit his family it had been predetermined for the Vindice to split into two main groups; the first was to carry on the usual duties of enforcing the Mafia laws and the second was to figure out the problem concerning their endearing child's flame development. It was a surprise to say the least when finally they had uncovered the admittedly well covered secret of Tsuna's heritage. Vongola had considered the Young Lion of Vongola's twin sons' birth a highly guarded secret which made sense as it meant more possible heirs in the fray for the battle of the title Vongola Decimo. The fact that they were twins further complicated things.

After that revelation it took even longer to figure out how the information connected with Tsuna's inability to control his flames despite the obvious compatibility, in fact since the brunette held Primo's bloodline it should have given all the more reason for the child to be able to control and access his flames- or at least the Sky attribute. Only by the fifth month did through extensive networking and research was it uncovered the strong possibility of the flames being sealed by none other than the ninth Vongola boss himself. Logically the reasoning behind such an action should have been along the lines of inheritance issues and keeping the family out of the mafia however since all other heirs were still healthy and alive it seemed to serve no real purpose. It also gave a small sharp pang of guilt in each individual as it also reminded them that they were the people who were responsible for the innocent young brunette being unknowingly pushed into such a tainted bloody underworld, yet they were unwilling to push away the only light in their dark sky.

Despite ignoring the slowly growing guilt it only ate at there rotting flesh faster as they passed by the still recuperating child's room, they felt disgusted in themselves who boasted in their Vindice pride and justice yet were too blinded by their own selfishness to even go so far as to let harm by the on hands befall the child before just letting him live his own life back where he belongs. No one would admit it but all even Bermuda and Jager were unnaturally insecure when it came to dealing with Tsuna, doubts on the decision they had made, if the child would have been happier if left back nagged at the back of their minds. They hated feeling so vulnerable, to be so affected yet every time they come across that small tender smile that seemed to accept everything and heal their fragmented souls they couldn't bring it in their hearts to regret it.

They couldn't find the heart to tell the young- far too young- child the truth about his heritage, at least not yet, there was no real need to nor would it have been a good effect on such a pure kindhearted soul. So they did the only thing that they really knew how to do- _fight_.

* * *

><p>It took one week for Tsuna to wake up, the moment he even blinked blearily twice with his large honeyed eyes the Vindice guard on watch duty scrambled up and flung open the door to yell as loud as he could with his underused voice box that the child had awoken. Before long everyone who was available and currently in the same hemisphere had rushed over to the slightly confused brunette. Honestly it was easily the most frantic and noisy the Vendicare had been ever. Bermuda who was the first to appear in the room watched the commotion as he sat snuggly by Tsuna's side making a mental note to put the Vindice members through cuteness resistance training in the future- not that he didn't need it too as he faintly smiled and gently caressed the boy's soft fluffy hair when he thought no one was looking.<p>

Despite being dead and rarely ever injured even when alive many still remembered how to go about in basic first aid and the Sun flame users like Alejandro were able to remember how to apply their old flames to help with the healing process so when the young child had woken, he had woken tired, stiff and bruised- but not really injured. Though that didn't seem to stop the few female Vindice as well as a large handful of the male Vindice from smothering him in overprotective coddling. Though the rest of the guards watched back thinking that such embarrassing acts were beneath them they didn't stop it from happening either much to the smothered boy's dismay.

Yup he definitely had to get stronger, Tsuna resolved. At least enough so the fear of being suffocated under all this attention when unable to move no longer becomes an immediate and ever looming threat.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen finally on the first day Tsuna had woken up and everyone had left the tired still exhausted child to rest- well almost everyone.<p>

"Bermuda-san?"

**"Hmm…?"**

The bandaged infant sat by the injured child in his bed watching over protectively and with well disguised fondness. Internally he winced at the usual pure light voice sounding so weary and strained much like how everyone before had sounded, if they even spoke at all. But that was all before this mysterious child came, now even the Vendicare seemed more humane. Bermuda had to chuckle quietly at that thought then frowned slightly. It definitely wouldn't be good if anyone found out about Tsuna- not just for their reputation as the most feared people but the fact that the child's safety would be compromised when enemies (and there are many) find out this little boy was possibly their only weakness. Just thinking about letting the innocent child be stained by their work was possibly the biggest fear everyone secretly shared yet he was a Vongola child- not just any but one of direct bloodline, he would have to be immersed in the filth one day eventually wouldn't he?

"Bermuda-san?"

The angelic albeit slightly croaky voice brought the Night arcobaleno from his senses and doubts as he turned to face the weakened child on the bed. Tsuna was fidgeting slightly with the blanket, his cheeks dusted a beautiful shade of pink.

"C-can I h-hug you…?" He asked shyly, his large caramel brown eyes flickering from Bermuda to his fiddling fingers and his blush deepening. A warm feeling spread in his tiny chest as the Vindice Boss' eyes widened and he too found himself with a tinge of pink on his face underneath all the bandages. The situation was so… unknown to the man yet so pleasant. It had been a long time since he'd felt anything akin to real emotion and in half a year this child had dug out so many feelings he had buried deeply in the ground leaving them there to rot.

Noticing the stiffness in the arcobaleno Tsuna looked down to his hands embarrassed and flustered. Of course Bermuda-san wouldn't be so generous to indulge in such a childish request! But he couldn't help but let the words slip from his mouth, he felt so safe with the cursed male, so close - even though he interacted with many other Vindice to a much larger extent the brunette knew he held a special place in his small heart for the other. Of course now he felt stupid and regretful at showing such weakness. Flustered he began spouting any words that could possibly ease his feeling of embarrassment and hurt from the subtle rejection.

"A-ano, I mean, if you wanted- not that I was trying to force yo- I mean not that- oh- just- ah-"

**"Tsuna."** The child stopped his flustered stuttering at the sound of his name on the cursed baby's lips. Looking up he sees the figure as small as he lift his arms up in a welcoming gesture, though at first he still looked imposing and composed the brunette could see the little signs which revealed him feeling anything but.

**"Well? What are you waiting for Tsuna? This _is_ a one time thing.."** Bermuda muttered with the two both knowing full well the last statement to be a completely blatant lie. A small happy gasp from the child as he quickly fell into the embrace hugging the arcobaleno warmly. The two couldn't help but let a chuckle escape their lips; one pure, clear yet warm with passion like a small flame lighting up the many surfaces of a crystal and the other though raspy was distinct and just as warm like a bonfire.

The pain that chained the elder of the two, the hatred and feelings of betrayal seemed like a dream from a lifetime ago when he was with the boy. As fluffy brown hair nestled in the crook of his neck the Vindice boss could smell the scent of wet grass, something that so clearly didn't belong in the dark grey concrete walls of Vendicare. When he first saw the boy's presence all those months ago he had been furious at his men for making such a mistake, very rarely in his existence had he ever made an error in anything from passing judgement to the guilty to upholding the laws and justice. So mistakes were not taken pleasantly but now as he held the small child close to his own small body Bermuda decided to let such a mistake go- after all it was probably the best mistake of his accursed life.

'Maybe.. Just maybe I can tell Tsuna about everything; who we are, what we stand for and even my own past…' The arcobaleno was surprised at his own thoughts but he quickly let the feeling slide not one to deny his own emotions. With a soft smile as he rubbed soothing circles on the other's thin back as the brunette nuzzled even closer to the warmth. '_Tsuna_…'

As they cuddled closer each enjoying the others warmth and touch Bermuda could only regret that the one thing that could make this moment perfect was if he was in his true form, he wished to be bigger to properly wrap his arms around his endearing Tsuna, to hold him even closer and to have the body to keep him safe from all the darkness in this world so unfit for him. For that he had to find a way to break this infernally damned curse, no longer driven by just pure revenge but with the desire and resolve to protect. To protect _their_-no- to protect _his_ beloved sky.

Unbeknownst to the two the clear pacifier hanging on the arcobaleno's neck and Tsuna's crystal pacifier hidden in the room seemed to lightly glow a white light for a moment before reverting back to it's usual dull states.

* * *

><p>It took a week, three days and enough smothering to last a life time but Tsuna was 100% recovered. Since he was practically forced to stay in his room to recuperate his still strained body he'd been catching up in writing his notes on the Vindice making sure they had their own separate set of notebooks, he'd also taken to reading the notes of both Talbot and Scientist-san's which only served to make him more impatient to be let out of his room to test those theories.<p>

After finally lifting the seal to his magic flames that a mean old wizard cast on him (yes that was how they explained it to him) he felt healthier than ever, energy practically buzzed in his ears and he could hear his flames 'voices' clearer than ever. Possibly the only thing that was really concerning was his body core temperature has shifted much higher than average human beings- possibly trying to adapt to the heat of multiple flames. It hasn't really affected the child to the point he was aware of this particular change but Summer being a total b***h was going to be a gross understatement- thank god Vendicare installs the very best air-conditioning, originally to prevent the smell of rotting flesh in heat. The first thing the brunette did now that he was allowed to move freely without fear of being strapped down to the bed as per Bermuda's and the female Vindice's (now calling themselves the Tuna fish appreciation group) orders was to walk around the halls greeting everyone with his cheery smile. It was so endearing that he could now walk on his own though everyone felt a pang of nostalgia as a part of them wished they could still hold onto the excuse to hold his tiny ever-warm hand. Of course their pride wouldn't allow them to ask the little child for his hand plus it was just embarrassing- especially for the males.

As he made sure he greeted and reassured everyone he was okay Tsuna practically skipped to the training grounds. After a few minutes and around five faceplants later in which any of the passing Vindice couldn't help but sweat drop at - really ever since he began walking it had become very obvious that the little boy was naturally very clumsy and apparently no amount of balance and physical training from the harshest, strictest guards could beat it out of him, luckily it only added to his already criminally high cuteness factor or they would all be banging their heads against walls, Vindice pride be damned.

* * *

><p>Once alone in the grounds the brunette began some breathing practices and warm-ups - something many of the guards had reminded him constantly to do so if he was going to experiment with his flames alone. Tsuna couldn't help but smile at how overprotective these so called 'cold hearted monsters' have become of someone as unwanted as he, of course he will never voice it out- the last time he pointed out how motherly they were was a good enough experience for him to never say it ever again- at least not out loud.<p>

Now he rubbed his hands together in excitement as he began to bring out his flames one by one in order to check if each one was alright. "Ok Sky-san you first~" Much to his delight he found he no longer needed to concentrate so hard to summon his magic flames, he could feel a small flame forming on his forehead which was strange but since it didn't seem to burn he decided to ignore it for now.

Suddenly it felt like a dam being opened, instead of the usual feeling where summoning his flame was like getting a trickle of water by trying his hardest to push open the tap to the maximum it felt like the tap just burst with water from the smallest amount of pressure. The brunette was so used to forcing and using a lot of his concentration as well as energy to get just a small flame to ignite that he was doing the same now causing orange flames to flare up rapidly to a scarily large imposing size. By then the Vindice from all around the huge Vendicare prison had felt the sudden powerful flame signature and had rushed or teleported swiftly to it's location.

At this time the small brunette was filled with a mix of fear and awe at the large orange flames however panic swiftly set in as he had never handled such a large amount of flames before.

"Tsuna!" "Chibi!" "Kid!" "Child!"

Orange brown eyes widened as they turned to see Bermuda and his closest men who wasted no time nor hesitation to rush to the confused child. "Child just breathe and relax." Bermuda was the one to instruct the boy, his tone serious yet comforting at the same time, Tsuna was quick to comply forcing himself to relax. The bright wild flames seemed to calm a little but the size didn't lessen at all.

The group looked at each other a little lost having no experience at all in teaching someone with so much potential yet so little actual working knowledge on flames. It didn't help that it had been more than a few years since they themselves learnt to control flames as well as held decent conversations so trying to explain such a complex concept to a child was not exactly their dream come true. First however they had to get rid of the flame still burning in the brunette's hands. Since the child was still unused to using such an intense amount of flames and had only just recovered there was a high chance of getting burned again.

"Kid ya gotta freaking release the flame." Blank uncomprehending eyes stared at Jack. "Ya know…" He rubbed the back of his neck a little uncertainly, fiddling with the chain holding his stone pacifier. "So it goes all _fwoosh_ and _bam!_ kinda like throwing a ball if ya know - tha ball is fire." Now everyone was staring at the faded red haired guard who was still fustratedly and unsuccessfully trying to explain _whatever_ it was he was explaining. "Goddammit! Isn't anyone going to freaking help?!"

Much to Jack and everyone else's relief Jager decided to step up to the role. Coolly and collectedly he knelt down and gripped the two small wrists making sure the orange flames were not facing his direction. "Your fingers are need to be splayed open. Can you imagine your hands almost like guns?"

Silently the fluffy brunette nodded. Jager gave a small reassuring curl of his mouth though his eyes remained serious. "Good. Now let your concentration focus on the opposing wall and when I snap my fingers just think of it like a trigger and push out the flame in one short burst. Can you do that Tsuna?" Another small nod and large bandaged hands released the thin wrists.

As Tsuna concentrated his focus like he was told his eyes sharpened slightly as they too reflected the colour of his flames, he could feel his arms aimed at the wall, his flames the bullets. Suddenly a loud click resounded in the silence of the room and the orange fire blazed up, the room practically scorching. A sharp jolt of pain bloomed in Tsuna's hands as he finally released the building up of his flames, he tried to scream at the pain but no sound came out, the sheer force of the flame almost forced the tiny figure off his feet if not for a strong grip holding him steady in which faintly he identified as Bermuda. And as quickly as it happened the moment passed just as fast.

Now just the sound of harsh panting and tense silence filled the air. The child's hands were burnt slightly but surprisingly not badly damaged however not much could be said for the wall which had been completely scorched black. It was quite an impressive feat for the brunette to accomplish- the walls were built specially to contain large amounts of pressure and was also very flame-resistant, damage even to a small extent proved the individual held great power.

Such appreciation however was pushed to the side for the moment as all attention fell to the slightly drained child, Tsuna smiled trying to reassure he was okay but the Vindice would have none of that, even Gia should concern. The rest of the day the brunette took it easy just walking around and spending some overdue time with the guards who had made a silent agreement to make sure that until the brunette held a satisfactorily level of control in flame manipulation, the boy would not be alone in the training grounds. They shuddered to think what would happen if he chose to play with his Night flame at that time instead of the Sky attribute. Bermuda had to make a few calls and give a few threats in order to get the Vendicare repaired and fully reinforced in the amount of time that he did.

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><p>It was late at night and way past Tsuna's bedtime when the boy woke up to the sound of cussing and laughter. Not wanting to be left out on any fun and curious on what sort of activity could cause such a provocation of emotions from usually the ever sombre, serious guards the child tiptoed a little unsteadily-due to his tired stiff small body- across the dimly lit grey halls following the sound of the noise.<p>

"God-freaking-dammit!" Jack swore fiercely the colours of the rainbow as once again he found himself on the losing side of the round. Slamming his cards down he all but punched the smirking Jager to the ground. Other Vindice were also grumbling to themselves as they too were beginning to suspect some foul play with the Strongest Warrior. Big Pino and Small Gia were darkly muttering and pupipipu-ing half hearted threats as before the co-founder of Vindice came along to join they were the undefeated champions when it came to their poker nights. Alejandro twitched in annoyance as he handed over the money he had bet in this round to Jager, he too was doing fine before the warrior came by to join. Ever since the young child had came into their dare they call it- lives they found themselves indulging in their old human activities to pass the time instead of wallowing in regret and hatred. Apparently everyone along with their high class Vindice Pride, amazing strength and arrogant competitiveness also held a taste on some level for gambling- hence the birth of Vindice poker night.

"_Keh_, it's my turn to deal."

As rotted hands began collecting and shuffling the cards a small fluffy brown head peeked out from around the corner. Large inquisitive eyes surveyed the room where a group of around twenty Vindice were all gathered around a table with cards in hand or just watching over the game. Apparently they were all far too immersed with the tiny pieces of paper in their hands to notice the child, much to the brunettes relief.

**"And what business do you have so late at night child?"**

_"Hieeeee!"_ Tsuna jumped startled but the sudden intimidating voice behind him, as he tried to quickly spin around the clumsy child tripped on his feet and fell on his butt with a small thump. "Ehh ite, ite." Pouting the little brunette looked up at the bandaged infant before him who though expressionless Tsuna could annoyingly sense the other was smirking amused at him. Blushing he turned back to where he was watching over before to see the Vindice guards looking up from their cards as their attention was drawn to his unfortunate tumble. "_Uh_.. G-good Evewining"

An awkward silence filled the room- only to be quickly broken by Jager with his raspy laughter that only seemed to come out whenever Tsuna was concerned. Jager was not alone when it came to expressing his amusement and soon everyone joined in on varying levels from a glimmer of humour in their eyes to a blatant smiles and smirks on their lips to like the co-founder of Vindice- outright laughter. The fact that the child cutely pouted throughout the whole thing did not make it any less funnier nor any less adorable.

Finally after the laughter finally calmed down Bermuda offered the little one to join as a peace offering for the now sulking child. Of course curiosity won over and Tsuna quickly agreed excitedly, his bad mood forgotten causing a few snickers and coos in the background. Alejandro was the one to drag over a new chair which both Bermuda and Tsuna shared- though both to their annoyance and everyone else's amusement found that they still had to stand to see over the table.

As quickly they explained the basics of how to play the game the brunette furrowed his brows in intense concentration like they were trying to telling him the makings of the atomic bomb instead of just the rules to a card game. Once satisfied in covering everything Small Gia began to deal the cards and gave everyone their respective five cards. Tsuna's small hands couldn't hold all of them at once so Bermuda with a faint whisper of a chuckle decided to help a little however he wasn't going to join in the fun after all he was curious to see how the boy would fare in a battle of wits and lies.

After everyone looked at their dealt hand each began to start betting, Tsuna unsure of what to offer was patted fondly on the head by Alejandro who sat next to the two infants as he subtly passed a few small change to the brunette. The old Vindice always had a small soft spot for children- even if he was considered one of the most coldhearted and loyal guards in Vendicare. Blinking down at the coins in his hand then back at the stoic expressionless face of the other he then gave such a bright smile that even the sun would seethe in jealousy, Alejandro being as imposing as he was couldn't help but cough slightly to hide a twitch in his mouth and to look away from the direct gaze of such a smile for fear of the dark flame that controlled him to be purified. Bermuda watching the whole scene play out resolved to definitely put every single guard into that cuteness resistance training- and soon.

The young positively glowing child put in a 500 yen coin for his bet puffing up proudly as he did so while all the adults put in the minimum around 250,000 yen (around $2000) like it was the same value to them. Money really wasn't a huge concern in Vendicare as most of it mainly went through the funds for maintaining the prisoners and the electricity, the Vindice guards had even less need for money since they never went outside for leisure purposes nor indulged in many things until now.

Anyway as the game continued and the stakes were raised Tsuna noticed he felt a strange tingling feeling like a little prick in his mind every time certain people started doing things that didn't seem to relay the truth like acting confident and raising their bets even though it felt like to the child that they shouldn't. It was a very, very confusing feeling since it didn't make sense if they had bad cards and still raised stakes so they must had actually had very good cards in their hand, with that simple reasoning in mind the brunette ignored the nagging feeling in his head and folded unconfident with his fairly decent hand of cards.

Finally it was time to reveal their cards and the little naive child gasped at how many of the people that were still in and had met the raised bets actually had very bad hands! "Bermuda-san!" Tsuna breathed as he turned to the arcobaleno next to him. "Bermuda-san everyone was lying!" It was the emotional equivalent to a child finding out Santa or fairs didn't exist, the child just looked so confused and a little dazed, the guards had to reassure themselves that what they did wasn't wrong but somehow the feeling of guilt stabbed them deeply as they looked at the hurt puppy expression decorating the boy's soft features. Having little - hell the total experience of a rock when it came to children the Vindice just shifted in uncomfortable silence as eyes shifted as trying to determine who would take the burden and blame in explaining the concept of lying in this game. It wasn't long till all eyes rested on the Night arcobaleno who shot a glare at all of them then sighed in defeat.

**"Child the term is bluffing."** Tsuna tilted his head cutely to emphasise his confusion, his eyes literally emitting a question mark.

"Bluffing?"

**"It is something used in gambling to throw off the opponent while maximising the money they could possibly earn."** The boy frowned a little as he thought about this.

"But… Pino-san had no high cards or pairs or anything but he still stayed in! And- and then he lost a lot a lot of money!" The small child cutely waved his arms frantically in the air as if too show how much money was lost. Even Gia had to smirk a bit as Tsuna not only pointed out his partner's failure in the round but emphasised it, hurling daggers in the others pride unknowingly.

"_Keh_. Ya see chibi Pino here was tryin' ta scare off the other playas by bettin' big. That way if everyone thinks he gotta good hand they'll back off and fold so the bastar-" Everyone shot a glare that promised pain at the small Vindice if he so much as finished that word in front of the still pure child- "- I mean the guy could get all the cash."

Tsuna blinked his large brown eyes as he nodded slowly. That made sense kind of. He still didn't really like the idea but… "So it's like tricking people in a friendly way?" Even though it was considered beneath them everyone, including Bermuda couldn't help but sweat drop at the sheer naivety of the child. **"Ah.. Yes."**

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><p>They continued to play and throughout the night Tsuna kept losing as he constantly failed in trying to reenact the so called bluffing technique, his face was too expressive and eyes seemed to reveal everything. In a way it was truly adorable how hard he tried to lie, Jäger finding it extremely amusing held in his chuckles with shaking shoulders while some of the other Vindice couldn't help but silently coo at the endearing child. As expected the brunette quickly was left with one coin to use, a single 5 yen coin. It was so sad to look at to everyone there- with the exception of Tsuna himself who was still smiling and humming excitedly much like he's been doing most of the time as he played.<p>

"Tsuna. If you lose this round you have to go to bed okay?"

"Haa~aaii!" The group sweatdropped as energetic little sparkles seemed to emit from the little boy. Once more the deck was shuffled and once more were cards passed around. As soon as Tsuna saw his hand he frowned slightly, his brow furrowed in a little frustration as well as of intense concentration. The Vindice sighed at how easily readable the brunette was as they returned their attention back to their cards.

No one really held a good hand for this round and it was clearly apparent that Tsuna wasn't going to win anyway so it did surprise them that the child actually stuck to the whole game without folding. As stakes were raised they decided to allow the little brunette to be exempt from the rule as he held no more coins- a few guards were sorely tempted to sneak a few notes to the little boy but quickly cut the idea down when the child stared them down it was uncanny how he did it, like he somehow knew what they were planning. The last bet placed and the cards were revealed as they groaned at their horrible hands only one tinkling giggle could be heard as well as the sound of tiny hands clapping with glee.

They all turned to face the laughing child who to all their very well hidden astonishment held a royal flush. "*giggle* I win! *giggle*" There was nothing but the silence of shock and the joyful laughter of the child. Quickly everyone joined in the contagious laughter and the room was soon filled with raucous gravelly laughter.

"_Haha_ holy shit! Ya got us freaking good kid!"

_"Kekeke_ Impressive chibi to out bluff the Vindice."

"_Puppipupipu_!"

Even Bermuda couldn't help but join in on the humor. **"Child you never cease to impress _*chuckles*_" **

Under all the praise Tsuna couldn't help but flush with happiness and Bermuda and the other Vindice could swear for a second there were flowers blooming around him. With a cheeky smile he looked at everyone and said "So I guess I can play for real now?"

After that it was like a massacre. Using his own expressive face against them the child had begun faking his reactions left and right. Pretending to hesitate when he chose to raise his bet, to bite his lip and scrunch his brows like he was thinking hard or struggling with the odds only to come out on top. Acting cheery and confident, unnerving everyone as he giggled whenever the stakes were raised like he held the best hand possible until everyone folded and he showed a terrible hand. To add more confusion he would express his honest reaction randomly throwing everyone off their pace it was almost like _something_ was telling him whenever the group began catching on to his bluff.

Bermuda who was only watching the game played out was impressed at such a strong hyper intuition, possibly on the same level or even higher as Primo's himself. Everyone else was impressed too but their wounded pride of consistently losing to a child smaller than their knees wouldn't let them show it. By the time they called it the end of the night Tsuna had amassed a small fortune much to his delight- not that he truly understood the value of money but he did understand that he had definitely had a lot of fun. Sleepily as he waved goodbye to the Vindice group he asked with twinkly eyes. "Ne- Can we do this more often? Tricking people and bluffing is surprisingly fun!" Giggling as he remembered the shocked expressions and frustrated groans when he revealed his cards everyone else sweatdropped. What had they created?


	8. Chapter 8

**OMG 100 reviews (shout out to Amaya Ishimoto thanks man!), 190 follows and 170 ****favourites?! I just want to say THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!**

**Also I will be going overseas for a few months sooooo I won't be able to post a lot (if any) of chapters and you don't understand how sorry I am! But this is the most I have written and I do hope you will like it! (I kinda rushed it a bit since I'm leaving tomm morning so editing is a bit rough…)**

**Anyway what else… (I really feel there is something important to say but I don't remember urgh)**

**Enjoy, review but most importantly ENJOY**

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><p><span>A Question, A Stake of Vindice Pride And Two Parties<span>

It was closing in to be the eighth month Tsuna had lived with the Vindice and as Jack watched the miraculously fast growth of the child when it came it his flame manipulation a thought occurred to him. "Oi Tsuna." The brunette stopped throwing black inky flames at the unfortunate target dummy and faced the squatting fiery Vindice member. Once Jack got the younger's attention he continued. "When's ya birthday?"

The child tilted his head cutely as he thought about it. The Vindice guard felt the need to punch the nearest wall just to feel manly again. "Birthday? Wassat?" Brushing his faded coarse hair with his fingers the guard gestured the other to come closer and sit beside him. "Ya know tha day you were born? When you first came into this world?"

As he looked at those confused honey brown eyes it just occurred to the older male that Tsuna was far too young to know his birthday having only experienced it twice in his tiny lifetime. Really the child acted so much older than he was usually that he couldn't help but forget. Sadly though that left Jack to do the explaining- something that was common knowledge in Vendicare that he was truly terrible at. 'Shit. ok here goes nothi-' Suddenly in the corner of his eye he caught the sight of a familiar cloak passing the doors of the training grounds. "YO ALEJANDRO! O'ER FREAKIN HERE"

The passing guard winced slightly at the sheer volume of the other's voice. That hot tempered guard was easily the loudest Vindice in Vendicare. Sighing silently the sun attribute user strode dignified toward them, his cold noble like aura radiating that subtly screamed _this-better-be-important-or-else._ "Yes. Jack. And how may I help you?" He responded dryly in which the other guard twitched in annoyance at the tone. The two weren't exactly the closest of guards due to their clashing personalities. The red head considered the other 'to forever have a stick shoved where the sun don't freaking shine' while the pale blonde had used words like 'rowdy uncultured swine' to describe the other, in fact the only reason Alejandro was there was to check up on Tsuna- possibly the only subject the two will ever agree on.

Scowling the younger Vindice suddenly mused whether asking the stuck-up guard was really worth it and considered just telling the other to leave but then he remembered who he was doing this for. "Tsuna here don't understand what's a birthday." Alejandro raised an eyebrow turning his attention on the young child. "Is that true Tsuna?"

Said child was now blushing softly as he fiddled with his thumbs and nodded shyly. Apparently this was a well known concept and he'd never really encountered the idea before- yes there were passing words like that in the fairy tales he used to read but he was pretty sure that you don't die or fall into enternal slumber when you experience your 16th birthday- or at least he hoped not. The two couldn't help but give a small smile at the brunette which was the human equivalent of melting under the cuteness that is Tsunayoshi Sawada. "Well a birthday is the celebration of the day a person's born. Usually there is a party, gifts and a cake with candles the same number as whatever age you are."

As the eldest Vindice continued telling stories of the so called birthday celebrations, the other also interjected with some of his own tales of his share of parties and the tiny boy's eyes widened and sparkled with awe. He had never been aware of such a thing! "What brought this topic up if I may ask?" The elder politely asked. Tsuna too lost in the fantasy of this birthday concept didn't hear the question so the hotheaded Vindice answered for him. "It just occurred to me we should freaking celebrate it so I asked when it was." Alejandro nodded, if it had been anyone else he would have praised them for such an astute insight in child rearing since it was rare to even think about their birthdays after living so long however he would would rather face the monster Checkerface with a rusty spoon than acknowledge the intellect of the red head so in the end he settled with a nod of approval.

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><p>Leaving Tsuna to his musings the two guards left to take a little visit to their Boss's office. Knocking politely they entered once given the soft grunt of approval. There they were greeted with what could only be described as every boss's living nightmare- paperwork was stacked reaching the ceiling and covered every available surface. It was a good thing they came here to talk about Tsuna or they would have been in huge trouble for disturbing their boss who by the look of all the white papers was not in the best of moods. There in the middle of the white chaos was the small cloaked figure of Bermuda signing everything at an inhuman pace, <strong>"Jack, Alejandro- what brings you to my personal slice of hell?"<strong> he greeted sourly without even looking up.

Clearing his dry throat Alejandro was the first to speak "_*ahem*_ Yes well we were here on an _urgent_ matter concerning Tsunayoshi." That got the arcobaleno's attention as he looked up sharply from a very complicated looking document. **"The Child?"**

"Yeah we wanna know his birthday." The storm attribute ex-arcobaleno drawled out. Bermuda frowned but jumped off his far too big swivel chair to dig out the document, mutters of **"using the word urgent in improper context"** and **"damn Jager for slacking off"** was heard in the rustling of papers. After a few more minutes of document hunting and the increasing volume of their boss's quite disturbing comments and threats on his right hand man the bandaged baby triumphantly pulled out a plain white bundle of paper that had been stapled together with an orange stapler. **"Sawada Tsunayoshi. Male. Birthdate: October 14."**

It take less than two seconds to calculate how many days that was, then it took a good minute and a half for them to process how close it was approaching. **"Men."** The two Vindice turned to their boss, all seemed to hold the same thoughts in their mind. **"Gather everyone we have work to do."** The two bowed slightly before leaving the room swiftly, fading into the shadows of the dark halls.

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><p>As the duo left Tsuna couldn't help but grin as he noticed the two subtly fight over which individual was to stand in front of the other. 'A birthday party? I'm sure Ieyasu will love the idea when I tell him about it...' A slight frown made a way onto his angelic face, the last few monthly visits to Namimori wasn't the most pleasant experiences not that he would tell anyone. His mother can be quite tricky, purposely making play dates or sleepover arrangements for his twin whenever he arrived. They would get a few hours together at most which they would spend chatting and playing before he had to face those apologetic blue eyes as the blonde left leaving his younger half alone with the cold, heartbreakingly cruel woman known as Nana. Usually the moment the oldest twin left the building the warm bubbly personality of the woman would quickly fade away like water on chalk, a sneer would grace her usually pretty features and either spit out a few insults or just outright ignore the brunette, not that Tsuna chose to stick around till then- he was not so naive to stay in the house and put up with the women like before. When Ieyasu left he would go out for a walk like how he used to before, it was nice to see the blue sky and the greenery that can only be seen in such small country towns, a nice change of pace from the grey walls and scent of iron in Vendicare.<p>

As he thoughts moved back to the Vindice Tsuna realised with a start that he'd never really seen them go outside- yes they did for their duties and such but they never really went out for leisure. Slowly they were changing, indulging in activities that didn't focus on whatever quest for vengeance and justice that they always seemed to obsess about. 'Maybe it's because of their strange appearance?' The child mused. He was very aware that the true form of the guards weren't considered... Aesthetically appealing to others but he never really seemed to bring himself to care about appearance. Sometimes though when he practiced with Star-san and a guard was watching the brunette could swear for a moment that he'd seen a real person there- not just the appearance of a mangled living corpse but a person with normal healthy flesh and colored eyes. Maybe it's because of these little glimpses of their spirits that made them seem more human, maybe it's how they bare themselves and their emotions to the boy but Tsuna knew that the Vindice were indeed human beings- just very broken ones. And he loved them very much as they took in this small abandoned cracked child and made him part of their own.

And said child wanted to pay them back- even if only a little bit. Suddenly Tsuna got an idea. Eyes flashed orange with resolve as he pumped his arm in the air like he'd seen on those hero shows Ieyasu liked to watch. "Yosh! It's decided! I'll make them look normal and-and then I'll introduce everyone to Namimori! - I'll stake my Vindice pride on it!"

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><p>It was a great idea but it was easier said than done- for both child and Vindice guards.<p>

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><p><strong>"I have gathered you all for an important meeting."<strong>

Gravelly murmurs filled the air, a few grumbles were heard from the guards that actually had duties to fulfill today- luckily there hadn't been much criminal activity that was so bad the Vindice needed to step in recently.** "It's concerning one Sawada Tsunayoshi."** All noise ceased and was replaced by the silence of every guard at attention, Jäger couldn't help but smirk at how cute everyone was when the child was concerned- no matter how much they would deny it. Still he too was quite curious at why his boss and master had called for them all. "**In two weeks..."** Everyone held their nonexistent breath. **"Will be Tsuna's 3rd birthday. October 14. And he's never had a party before."** A pregnant pause settled in the air as the implications of the statement settled in. Tsuna's birthday was coming, his first birthday party with the Vindice, his first birthday party ever. A faint twitch or a flicker of emotion was all they expressed to show their growing excitement, soon murmurs broke out in anticipation. They were already just imagining the little child lighting up at the sight. **"We will show Tsuna a great birthday party thrown in true Vindice style."** A roar of defeating cheers could be heard so loud it echoed through the lower floors where the prisoners residing there couldn't help but shudder in fear at the almost ominous sound.

The Vindice were people who once they invest in something, they'll do it thoroughly, perfectly - child bearing and party-throwing being no exception.

Yes. They would stake their Vindice pride on it.

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><p>Taking out his Vongola book and tenderly brushing off the dust that covered it, the brunette excitedly opened it as he hid under his bed with a flashlight. He wanted to be as secretive as possible to surprise everyone! Much like those spy books he had read a while back. The Vongola book held the most detailed information on the flames from attributes to uses in its specific form and that right now was details the child seeked.<p>

After much reading and rereading the brunette frowned slightly as he offed his flashlight and shut the book. Absentmindedly tracing the holding wording of the title he mentally recounted any potential information for his goal- which was not much. Mist flames seemed to be the only type of magic that was actually applicable as it created the illusion of a healthy appearance but Tsuna wanted to go that step further- he wanted the user to /feel/ alive rather than just look it. A simple illusion would just mock what they didn't have, would hurt them further and Tsuna didn't want that. He wanted to heal them.

He wondered if Sun-kun's activation magic could help in that aspect, maybe even Rain-kun or Lightening-kun could also be used. It was an interesting thought in theory but it seemed almost too simple for reviving or regenerating a living person. Wordlessly the brunette grabbed a cheap stuffed toy that had been a gift from one of the neighborhood mothers that visited him on the streets and tore the poor thing almost in half. Then after doing so Tsuna quickly dashed to the training grounds trying to not fall down too much as he hid the toy all sneaky-sneaky like. Once affirming no one else on the grounds he triumphantly took out the broken toy and gently placing it on the ground in front of him, muttering soft apologies for what he had done and what he intended to do. Closing his eyes he focussed on calling out his flames, mainly for a certain indigo and a certain yellow colored flames, honestly ever since being unsealed he'd only played with his other flames enough times to get used to controlling them choosing to focus mainly on Sky-san. Now thinking back it was probably not the best idea to do. Indigo and gold yellow flames danced on his palms as the flame on his forehead flickered the two colours, his eyes changed also changed colors in sync to his flames yet they held a faint almost ethereal tinge of orange. His fingers splayed open toward the broken toy and eyes flashing a strange mix of orange, indigo and yellow as they narrowed in determination and resolve the child couldn't help but give a soft smile as he imagined the unspoken happiness of the Vindice if- no- when he succeeded.

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><p>The Vindice had experienced many things. Choosing to live on as a corpse for the sake of revenge or to die in oblivious peace. Check. Betraying or facing a betrayal with comrades close enough to call friends. Check. Destroying a whole familigia that had corrupted to far. Double check.<p>

However as they all dispersed out of that meeting they were faced with a problem no one had ever faced before. What to get for Tsuna's birthday.

They were the Vindice- precise, cruel, powerful and most importantly perfect to a fault. So it's no wonder their need for perfection had carried alongside to their inexperienced gift-giving. However Tsuna was a hard person to give a present to. Unlike other children his age should be the brunette was always undemanding, unselfish and easily self satisfied. Yes, Tsuna was a challenge worthy of the Vindice indeed.

It had been decided for them all to split into three main groups where they would circulate their roles every few days- Usual Duties, Party Setting Up and Gift Giving. Though it meant very little time to see Tsuna- only looking over him during any free time, the tuna-deprivation would be well worth it for when the big day came. The female Vindice had already grouped together squealing about possible gift ideas while some others had paired up in groups no larger than three discussing calmly (though showing subtle signs of excitement) about things that the child would like. Apparently Alejandro already had something in mind as he headed straight to his room giving a slight smirk to Jack before shutting the door, much to the other's annoyance. Not one to be outdone the redhead practically fired up as he too slammed the door to his room planning possible gifts that would give the adorable brunette the biggest smile. Apparently the competitive rivalry was infectious and soon everyone was determined to gift their favorite human being the best birthday present ever.

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><p>The brunette slumped heavily against the cool grey concrete, his breath short and irregular from exhaustion. He was fully aware that he was reaching his limit soon and the fact he had made almost no progress frustrated the usually calm easygoing child. The unfortunate toy had been burnt and torn to pieces from all the countless experiments and trials. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to use a non-living object Tsuna groaned as the idea that the past few hours were for naught. At least he'd had gotten reacquainted with his other flames and become more comfortable in using them. However no matter how hard he tried the flames -much to his frustration- refused to work simultaneously, they were far too pure to meld together like the brunette imagined it to be and he felt so close to getting the missing piece of the puzzle, his intuition going haywire, screaming an answer the young child couldn't hear.<p>

_*gurgle* *gurgle*_

Though no one was watching Tsuna couldn't help but blush as he rubbed his tummy trying to quiet the offending noise down. With a small defeated sigh the child shakily stood up to leave for the kitchens.

As he walked through the labyrinth of halls the child couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of guards. Those that were present seemed normal at first glance but something told the brunette otherwise, he'd observe them further as his curiosity begged to be satisfied especially after such a disappointing ordeal with his flames-_*gro~wl*_- but first lunch.

* * *

><p>Upon the realisation on where their favourite small child was heading to, it took a few calculated looks and glances before the fastest guard of the group quickly opened a portal and disappeared.<p>

Swiftly the guard reappeared in the kitchen where Jager and two other Vindice as well as the usual trio of voiceless chefs turned to face the now panting guard. Short-warping was a very complex move requiring a large amount of flames and a certain endurance to take in the physical strain, even Jager the strongest Vindice couldn't push himself to do two short-warps in a short period of time. "Tsuna-kun.. is *pant* coming this-" He didn't even need to finish his sentence for them all to piece the puzzle. Quickly in unison like a well oiled machine they all moved to cover up any sign of evidence; any cake recipes, party decorations, colourful ingredients and more. The chefs also moved to their positions as they began cooking a nice simple meal for the brunette in hopes of creating an illusion of normalcy. They too were very excited for the surprise as though they seemed even more emotionally distant than the guards even they eventually warmed up to the ever smiling little boy and over the few months the worker-client relationship with the child had broken down to more of affectionate caretaker and their personal adorable taste-tester. Working at Vindice wasn't the most appreciative enjoyable job so the little boy had been a breath of fresh air, a taste of freedom to the chefs who too felt like part of the imprisoned in Vendicare.

Once all evidence of their planning had been properly and efficiently cleaned up without a trace the cloaked guards merely gave a nod which was returned by the cooks before promptly disappearing. No sooner did their portal close up Tsuna knocked shyly at the door his eyes wide curious yet held a hidden glint of unmistakable suspicion as he sensed something wasn't entirely right. The silent individuals tensed visibly as they tried their best to ignore or at least look nonchalant when they felt the little boy's surprisingly intense gaze as if he was trying to deconstruct who they were, what they were thinking and what they could possibly hiding. The tense silence and piercingly sharp gaze was enough to make at least a yakuza boss shift in discomfort and the cooks were no exception to the pressure, only their resolve and image of seeing a happy Tsuna eating the birthday cake they so carefully made stopped them from just breaking down and telling the endearing child everything- they couldn't talk but for some reason hand gestures and facial expressions were enough for the kid to understand what they were saying strangely enough.

Slowly the harsh edge of the gaze softened as a small growl was heard in the small belly of the now blushing brunette as the child remembered why he came in the first place. A soft raspy wheezing could be heard in the kitchen indicating the closest indication to the mute individuals' chuckling at how adorable it all was. Silently and robotically they handed the child a small bowl of steaming white rice, dried fish, miso soup and a side of pickled plum- the usual plain lunch however one by one the three cooks gave a gentle pat on the fluffy head before handing the assorted pieces of the dish. The soon to be three year old flashed a large smile as he accepted the rare show of affection and emotion from the usually robotic silent cooks. The young boy happily waved his goodbyes to the people in the kitchen as he left with his meal, apparently all suspicion completely forgotten.

* * *

><p>As he walked down the hall to his usual eating corner Tsuna couldn't help but furrow his brow as he remembered the strange atmosphere as he came into the kitchen. Everything looked completely normal, nothing unusual was out of place and everyone was acting like usual yet the little feeling inside him was telling him that something was definitely off, the feeling didn't sense anything particularly dangerous so the brunette didn't bother to question it but still, it was definitely fishy. Fishy. Mmmnn fish. <em>*gro~wl*<em>

Blushing all previous thoughts were cast away as Tsuna focussed on sitting down and enjoying his meal. Well he was still just a kid after all and soon his wary attitude was quickly forgotten as he indulged in the meal while it was still hot and delicious. Suddenly the child's ears pricked up sensing the almost non-existent sound of footsteps coming his direction, with a cheeky smile his eyes glowed a dark indigo as flames of the same colour covered his hands as he began speedily constructing an illusion around himself to make him invisible. Though the speed he created the illusion was fast the child made sure to be meticulously careful, if he wanted to try and surprise the Vindice his illusion had to be perfect- he'd never been able to fool them but maybe the seventy-eight time will be the charm.

This particular illusion must have been really, really good or the guards passing were very, very distracted as the group passed by not even sparing the corner a glance. Tsuna was sorely tempted to unveil himself, excited and proud that he'd finally managed to accomplish one of his many goals whilst living in Vendicare however he stopped himself as he overheard shreds of conversation, piquing his curiosity.

* * *

><p>"And what's in it for you?" The raspy voice of a female Vindice demanded haughtily, something most of the other guards could only dream of when talking to the strongest Vindice warrior.<p>

"I merely wish to input some of my own suggestions into Tsuna's gifts." The deeper voice replied almost silkily, his rough cracked edge only resulting in a more seductive effect. Really a lesser person would have swooned from the voice alone and it only further confirmed the man to be a womaniser in his past life, unfortunately this was the Vindice and the Vindice held no lesser man or woman. Unfazed the female continued. "Suggestions?"

A rustling of fabric as the tall powerful Vindice pulled out a notepad from his black coat, the female frowned slightly knowing full well that Jager's clothes usually held no pockets and she had full view of his hands beforehand. The mystery was pushed to the side as she looked over the etchings scrawled in the paper sweat dropping slightly at the apparent talent her senior had hidden. With a careful eye she flipped through all the designs and gave a short sharp business-like nod in approval quietly slipping the notepad in the bag full of sewing materials. Her nod was returned and a silent agreement was made.

As the two parted ways Jager combed through his wavy raven hair with his fingers. The first part of his present was done, true he had done less than half of the work but he did promise to supply the female Vindice's group with any necessary supplies and he did put surprisingly a lot of thought in those designs. Jager didn't hate doing work per say, it was that if there was an option to exert less energy whilst still achieving the same outcome he would take it in a heartbeat. Ironically though Tsuna had brought out the more lazier side to him that had been repressed along with all other more human aspects of him, the child has also brought out a side of him he didn't even realize resided in him. He'd never been so driven, so enthusiastic when it came to anything- not even when he served his master Bermuda when he was still alive.

When had this change started? The Vindice warrior couldn't but wonder to himself, he was sure only Bermuda and he were really aware how different everyone was. Yes at first he thought the young'n was amusing, it had been so damn long since he had laughed and it was the first of many much to his pleasure. But when had he seen the boy as more as just something amusing to watch instead he became someone he cared for, became someone he acknowledged as a Sky? Was it when Tsuna accepted who they where despite appearances, that he didn't judge what they did, even go as far as respect and understand? Or was it something else, something deeper that not even the cruel, feared Vindice could have fought against if they tried?

Eight months. It had taken eight months and one Sawada Tsunayoshi for the Vindice to change. For the better or worse he wasn't sure. But- and he smiled as he remembered the many memories he shared with the boy- right now he wasn't regretting any of it.

Breaking from his musings Jager took out a batch of documents all holding some sort of information. Blackmail wasn't a popular skill used in the Vindice preferring to just cast judgement and jail them with no hesitation however individuals who gotten off with warnings had always been fairly… grateful for the pardon. It was almost amusing on how fast the large amount of favours were being used up for a mere child but after all it wasn't just any child they were using it for. It was for Tsuna.

* * *

><p>It was time for his usual monthly visits to Namimori. The brunette almost didm't want to go- not just because of Nana but because he was just getting closer to figuring out how to create a flame that can make the Vindice part of the living again. He had a lost lost hope a couple of times but his resolve pushed him through. The child realised that what he had needed to do was to actually combine his flames- letting mist and sun attributes be used simultaneously with some of the rain element thrown in as well. The combination seemed to work okay in both practice and theory when coupled with Sky-san who seemed to make them work almost harmoniously. Tsuna wondered if there were a whole possibility of other compatible combinations out there he could make with his flames. Just thinking about it made him shiver in excited anticipation.<p>

* * *

><p>As Tsuna waved happily goodbye to the usual guards Ario, Fico and Emilio who accompanied him to Namimori he noticed the trio being unusually jittery, even more so than the past week and a half as they were more easily readable than before- the child didn't even have to try to observe any strange signs! It wasn't just acting unusually nervous for the calm and composed Vindice but sometimes a few of the guards would come by and ask some strange questions. He remembered a pretty memorable time when Small Gia asked how he would like his own torture chamber filled with crocodiles personally trained by him only to be dragged away by his partner Pino.<p>

However the little feeling in his head told him not to question it so he simply didn't, putting on a big smile to reassure the trio he watched them enter back in the magic black portal connecting back to Vendicare absentmindedly wondering when they'll get to teach him that amazing spell. Once they left the fluffy child quickly and quietly slipped into the Sawada household, rushing up the stairs to his so-called bedroom not wishing to be confronted yet by the lady of the house.  
>After entering the safe vicinity of his room then Tsuna allowed himself to breathe, he was grateful for all those lessons to help him be all sneaky-sneaky since he got heaps better at hide and seek, though he usually got caught due to his clumsiness more than anything. However the moment the sigh escaped his lips the door slammed open as a bolt of golden blonde practically tackled the thin brunettes to the ground with a large *thud*!<p>

"TSU-CHAN! Tsu! Tsu! Tsu!"

All sense of maturity dissolved once he was with Ieyasu and soon there was just sounds of giggling and tumbling together. Finally once they were out of breath they finally released the almost iron-like grip they had on each other. Reunited once again the two began talking about what they did without the other so it felt like no time had been lost, it was the usual routine but Tsuna could not ask for more. The brunette made sure to be very careful on what he said though, he told his brother about his magic training, the fun antics he got up to with everyone (mainly Jack, Gia and even Jager-san when he was avoiding his duties) but became very vague in who this mysterious group really was. He may only be the younger brother but he held a duty to protect his family all the same, he knew no matter how nice everyone in Vendicare was the place was still very dangerous and even he had areas he was forbidden to enter. Even though the child was aware of the consequences he still wished to show off his amazing friends. Maybe when he found a way to change their appearances he could introduce them to Ieyasu. The brunette grinned brightly at the thought. Yes. That's exactly what he would do.

* * *

><p>They had three days to finally get everything ready and organised for their little Sky's big day. It was possibly the most hectic time the Vendicare had ever encountered since it's foundation centuries ago. There were arguments from colour choices to types of food being served. Silver, black, white and orange streamers hanged off balloons each a colour of the flames of the sky. A large dining table had been ordered to accommodate as many Vindice guards as possible and a specially made chair for the birthday boy. The prisoners were forced to sample various dishes from the cooking staff and were chosen to settle various debates by choosing which colour scheme or which dish was better- obviously the losing party did not take the decision well and personally tortured the poor victim with a cruel and unusual punishment much to the imprisoned's dismay.<p>

Since the guards couldn't actually go outside without drawing attention to their appearances nor was able to rely on the very tiny amount of mist-flame users they had to rely on the various favours they accumulated to get or even help custom-make their gifts, making sure their top priority was getting the best of the best. Jack was possibly the first one to dive into the favours box quickly getting his chosen person's information and teleporting to ask for the payment for the other's so called debt. He might not be the smartest guard in Vendicare but he could proudly boast he was definitely one of the closest to Tsuna and was confident in his gift idea- he just needed the skills of a certain Vongola hired engineer who had a while back gone a little to far with his robotics.

**"Giannichi. Vongola's best weapon tuner."**

The engineer jumped at the sudden intimidatingly raspy hollow voice behind him. He recognised non too fondly that voice that broke even the strongest of men in a cold sweat. He turned to only confirm his fears when he faced the cloaked bandaged guard who strangely enough didn't have any companions. "P-please." The man cursed himself for stuttering. "I haven't done anything to break the rules since the last tim-" **"I am here to discuss a repayment to that particular debt."** " -I have a son you know? And Vongola will not allow me to be taken… eh?"

Giannichi stared jaw open so wide it was a wonder it wasn't touching the floor, he couldn't help it! This Vindice guard was asking for a request. A Vindice guard of all people- if they actually were human. However he certainly wasn't going to say no to the guard of the most feared group of enforcers in the mafia. Composing himself to the best of his abilities he answered in a business-like albeit slightly weary tone. "So. What do you want me to make?"

For a second the best weapon tuner could have swore under those bandages he saw the guard flash a fiery grin.

* * *

><p>As the brunette happily munched on the meagre amount of cold leftovers that Ieyasu thankfully provided him under the table Tsuna couldn't help noticing Nana's good mood as she whistled a merry tune as she continued to cook. It must be something great since usually her mood is soured by his presence, a short sharp pain rang in the boy's young heart as he thought this. But he stubbornly ignored that traitorous side of him that still yearned for a mother's warmth. He had the Vindice now. Why couldn't this need disappear? He had already came to terms with this strained broken excuse for a relationship but it still hurt. The sharp edge of the dagger was dulled but at the same time getting stabbed by a dulled dagger can in it's own way hurt much worse than a sharpened blade.<p>

"Mama! Why you so happy?" The brunettes increasingly darkening thoughts were cut short much to his relief as he listened in to the conversation forming between his beloved twin and his mother.

"Ara? Didn't you know Iey-kun~?" The youngest twin couldn't help but bitterly think how the woman had purposely ignored him. "Nope mama!"

It was almost grating to the poor child how happy they were, how perfect a family they were without him. However he mentally pushed the thought away as in preference to feeding his hungry stomach with delicious albeit cold food. "Well it's _your_ birthday today Iey-kun! I've invited a~ll your friends to come over in the afternoon!" "Ee~eh? Really!?"

The brunette stopped chewing, the food in his mouth felt suddenly dry and stale. He was no idiot. He knew very damn well the two shared birthdays and what the woman was cruelly implying. Swallowing dryly Tsuna decided for once to try stand up for himself. "B-but mother. What about… about…" His voice usually so clear was found wavering and fading off much to his horror, it was like those nightmares where no matter how hard he tried his voice just would't work. Ieyasu sensing his younger counterpart's dilemma gave a reassuring pat on the back making sure Nana wasn't looking when he did so. Instantly the brunette could feel waves of calm wash over him, secretly he gave a small smile to his elder twin whose blue eyes seemed to flash with understanding and sympathy. Before he could make another shaky embarrassing attempt to talk Ieyasu beat him to it. "But mama. Wha 'bout Tsu?"

Instantly the room seemed to go cold, even ice cubes would shiver if they could. "Ara? Oh Iey-kun don't be silly." The older woman smiled her usual smile but the two boys with their intuition couldn't help but shudder at how her eyes didn't seem to reflect any of the warmth she usually gave. "Tsunayoshi doesn't have a birthday."

Tsuna couldn't help but give a sharp inhale of air. It must have been obvious that he was in pain emotionally because one look from the blonde and a flash of dark anger swept in those wide blue eyes. "Mama! Tha not right! Tsu and I have the same birthday!" This was probably the first real time his big brother was really standing up for him, too bad the child was too busy trying not to cry to appreciate the moment. "No, no, no Iey-kun~." She gave her sickly sweet smile and the brunette tensed already feeling a bit of bile come up his throat. "I made a mistake. Tsunayoshi _has_ a birthday… he just doesn't _deserve_ one."

That comment hit harder than any punch or injury he'd ever encountered whilst training with the Vindice, it burned harsher than any flame. That pitying almost apologetic look from his brother was only salt to the metaphorical gaping wound. The fact his own twin had done nothing but accept the unreasonableness of it all and the idea that he was so unwanted by his own flesh and blood… "E-excuse me." With that small almost whisper of a reply Tsuna left the table and almost ran to his room.

* * *

><p>Tsuna loved his counterpart dearly and he knew the other did as well but sometimes he felt so childishly jealous and angry at the other. As he curled up in his empty dark room listening to the laughter and music coming downstairs as if mocking him Tsuna found this moment to be one of those times. He hated that Ieyasu never fought for him, never defied their mother no matter how much she was picking on him yet he couldn't bring himself to hate his brother and instead accepted his cowardliness as well as his other faults.<br>The feeling of the unfairness of it all filled his tiny body as the loneliness seeped through the walls suffocatingly and it scared him. Big honey brown eyes glittered with unshed tears threatening to spill out despite all his resistance. Crying isn't something befitting one with Vindice pride he scolded himself. As he rubbed his eyes harshly as if trying to push the tears away he couldn't stop a small hiccup of cries from his mouth. That seemed to be the trigger to a small breakdown and soon all sense of coolheaded logic was stripped away as he began to truly show his age as he cried and sobbed his broken soul out into his pillows. Only sleep comforted him away from the hurt in his heart.

* * *

><p>Caramel brown eyes flickered open to be greeted by not the whitewash walls of his bedroom of Namimori but more familiar grey ones. With a small groan the child groggily sat up looking at the time on his clock- 4:00 - he had probably been carried here whilst sleeping when he was supposed to be picked up by 3. Looking at the ground the child noticed with some surprise that instead of the usual grey carpeting there was an orange painted line leading from his bed to the closed door. Ever curious and without even a shred of suspicion the brunette decided to follow this mystery line and where it could possibly lead. The halls seemed much to quiet as he followed the orange paint. Usually there would at least be a trio of guards monitoring the area but there was simply no one there. Even though the Vindice were always quiet to the point that even a leaf falling on the ground could be heard better than their footsteps Tsuna could always sense their presence on some level. But right now he couldn't sense anyone at all and a part of him began to worry and grow wary at the lack of activity. What if something bad happened to them?! Maybe a dangerous criminal escaped?! Maybe the curse did something?! What if-<p>

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TSUNA!"

"HIEEEE!?" The young child yelped in a rather unmanly way. Once he got his hysteria under control he took a good look at the place he had been lead to. The line ended with a painting of what can only be assumed as a flame. Written in gold were the words _congratulations_. Tsuna found himself in the throne room- or supposed to be the throne room. Every guard was gathered wearing shiny pointed hats or other strange looking items on their heads, the room was filled with balloons and streamers of various colours decorating the usual drab greys upon greys that were signature to Vendicare. In the middle of the room was a large table filled to the brim with beautifully assorted food and various desserts that could have come straight out of one of Tsuna's picture books, it looked so fantastical. Tsuna had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

When he had made a hundred percent sure he was awake the brunette couldn't help but tear up with happiness. A few of the guards (mainly the females) couldn't stop coo-ing over how cute a teary Tsuna was as the child smiled so wide and happily that everyone felt a huge sense of accomplishment at the image. "Well what are you freaking waiting for kid?" Jack grinned lopsidedly showing some charred teeth which a lifetime and a betrayal ago would have been pearly white. "Let's get this party started!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't as festive nor certainly as loud (they had with the help of Tsuna grown livelier but that still wasn't enough for them to break their usual quiet habits)as the birthday his elder twin was having but the brunette was sure that this was definitely the best party ever. And he didn't mind voicing how great it was to everyone much to their delight, pride and relief. It had been a long time since they all had experienced any sort of celebration and possibly for the first time in a long time they could have felt something akin to nervous insecurity on whether their little Sky would enjoy it.<p>

They couldn't decide on what type of birthday cake they wanted to give for Tsuna- someone suggested orange, there was a huge war on chocolate versus vanilla and even more fights that may or may not have resulted in the physical damage to the Vendicare prison environment and it's property and prisoners- so they settled for a compromise. Tsuna's large honey brown eyes widened and glittered with childish awe and excitement as he saw the large cake decorated to show a rainbow in the night sky and he giggled in absolute delight as he realised each colour held a different flavour. The chefs had the honour of helping the child with his serving, taking careful care to let the boy sample each individual flavour. Every time he tasted a piece of the cake the child would make sure to savour it slowly then Tsuna would cutely scrunch up his face in deep thought and suddenly shout out in excitement what sort of taste he thought the flavour belonged to. Everyone just smiled their gentle small smiles reserved solely for the brunette as they thought how endearing this child was, it was even more adorable when the kid couldn't help but make a huge mess of himself- even getting a bit of dark chocolate frosting on the top of his nose!

Chuckling at the brunette's antics Jager reached down to wipe away the frosting however Tsuna who didn't notice the Vindice warrior reaching toward him unconsciously reacted by trying to hit the unknown entity in self defense. Of course the punch gave no effect on the strong guard however what it did produce was a cake and frosting half smeared onto his face Jager. There was silence. Then a harsh laughter was heard echoing and everyone turned their attention to the the laughing individual with faded red hair. "HAHAHA oh shit! You should have seen your freaking face when y-" Jack was suddenly cut off as a piece of the cake had hit him square in the eyes. Wiping off the red frosting off his face he glared at the slightly smirking Jager and with a mischievous glint in his jet-black eyes the fiery guard scooped up the closest piece of food he could find. Everyone sweat dropped as possibly the most childish of the Vindice, Gia who never couldn't resist a chance to rile things up quickly joined in and it all devolved from there. Soon everyone had joined in, there were guards actually using their portals in order to achieve a better aim at their opponents, even Bermuda had joined in at some point. A certain brunette found himself also throwing small pies and handfuls of desserts or shouting and revealing guards that were about to attack another. Tsuna having the time of his life couldn't stop laughing at the whole scenario, it was even more amusing since the Vindice seemed to take everything seriously- apparently even when food fighting. Though he was very sure the chefs will not be happy about all this wasted food and mess the day after.

Soon the battle settled down- mainly because there had been no more food left to be thrown- and it was time to open presents. A very sticky, smiling three-year old sat in the middle of the floor as each guard or group of guards began offering their presents. Many had given him various books ranging from fantasy novels to encyclopaedias to comic books, each one either a first edition, personally signed by the author or in mint condition. Some books were even on the topics of flame use or stories of the mafia. Others gave him things ranging from specially made charms to some very intricate rings that they told Tsuna would help with when he played with his magic. But Tsuna accepted all gifts with equal delight and joy.

The female Vindice had possibly the largest present in sheer quantity alone. They had spent the last few weeks sewing various custom-made outfits for the cute brunette using only their own imaginations and Tsuna's moe-ness to push their limited home-economic skills to their limits, luckily Jager was willing to help supply any materials needed- even the rare flame-resistant ones. The main outfit had been from Jager's design- a mini Vindice uniform almost identical to Bermuda's except for the fact Tsuna's was white in colour with vibrant orange feather lining in his cloak and equally orange bandages decorating his top hat. Immediately taken to the costume the child rushed off to get cleaned and changed into the new outfit, strutting it around proudly as everyone squealed (internally or voiced it physically) at how cute he was. They even took pictures of the child and a slightly embarrassed though a very flattered Bermuda with the new camera the birthday boy had received as a present.

Next were the strongest Vindice guards turns to gift their favourite child. Alejandro presented a mini Tsuna puppet as well as various other Vindice puppets he had hand-crafted himself, something he hadn't done since he created the Gingerbread doll series which had been only used for the destruction of familigias. He promised a very excited Tsuna with a small chuckle that didn't match his usual ice-cold demeanour, that he would spend some time teaching the boy how to properly manipulate the dolls on a later date.

Small Gia and Big Pino came after handing the child an assortment of various weapons, artillery and other such dangerous items completely ignoring the glares of the other guards. "_Keh_. Happy birthday kid. We wish you to be ever strong and whatever." As they turned to walk away Tsuna looked up from his gifts of what he could sense were well cared for and individually polished weaponry to smile. "Thanks very much Gia-san, Pino-san- I hope yew will help teach me how to use them later." The smaller of the pair tch-ed ignoring the warm feeling almost fluttering inside him. "Obviously." He muttered as Pino just pupipup-ed knowingly smug.

Jack held out a very badly wrapped red parcel proudly in which Tsuna accepted it with equal fervour. Inside the parcel was headphones- a fiery red with the number 27 imprinted on the outsides and fur lining on the insides- an iPod and two red bracelets which also had a number 27 imprinted on them. "I know yer always humming and stuff so I thought you would like this freaking music stuff." The red-head explained. "I already got a few songs in there already and the bracelets and headphones can work as freaking stereos when you press a certain passcode onto the iPod too!" The brunette gave such a spine tingling smile Jack felt like he had been hit by lightening- in a good way- and when the child gave him a big hug to show his appreciation the guard couldn't help but hug (a little awkwardly with the height difference) back.

Jäger also seemed to have a similar idea to Jack's as he presented the child with a Karaoke machine. At this point the brunette felt like he could just burst with happiness. "Will everyone come sing with me too?!" All the guards who initially were watching over fondly tensed- singing was never in their long list of expertise and honestly given a chance they would immediately turn the person down when offered. However as they looked into those big puppy dog eyes they felt compelled to nod their heads in agreement to the charming child's request. By the look on the co-founder of Vindice's face, the man had completely planned it for his amusement. With a widening even more annoyingly apparent smirk Jager added. "There's also a dance feature included."

* * *

><p>The party had lasted long into the night and it was time to send Tsuna off to bed. Bermuda was the one to suddenly announce he would be escorting the brunette to his sleeping quarters while the rest continue to drink and be merry. It took the sleepy child a few minutes to notice something strange. "Ummm… Bermuda-san? This isn't the way to my room." The arcobaleno continued on without missing a step. <strong>"I know child. This is the way to my room- you are sleeping with me tonight."<strong> This instantly caused the young boy's tiredness to disappear as he looked up curious and intrigued. He had been invited to see the interior of a few of the guard's rooms and they all had pretty much been the same as his own, however Bermuda unlike the others had been completely closed off in that he never revealed even a small hint of his past.

Bermuda's room was definitely larger than most of the others, his bed was a king-sized one with black silk sheets and simple white pillows- the size was much bigger than most other's which the child thought a little strange considering the other's size. Other than the bed however the brunette noticed very little of anything else in the room, it seemed to just be what it was- a bedroom, nothing more, nothing less. No photos, no items that held memories, nothing.

"Come child." The voice was softer, warmer and it took Tsuna a second to recognise the voice to belong to Bermuda without it's usual intimidating tone. Any nervousness melted away as a sense of safety filled him. Complying to the request the brunette squirmed into the large bed with the arcobaleno, a little surprised that the other was in pyjamas - also the colour of night- yet still wore his bandages. But the child did not question it, he knew when the time is right Bermuda himself will tell him and he will wait patiently for when that day comes.

"Night Bermuda-san." He murmured drowsily as his eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment. The small brunette snuggled closer to the other and almost purred when a tiny bandaged hand stroked his head. The elder of the two chuckled softly at such an endearing sight. This small child had slowly but surely unlocked the many, many chains he had locked onto his heart and soon they'll be no more chains to protect his heart. That thought scared the Night flame wielder more than he would ever care to admit to himself but it did. He knew there will be a time when he would pass on and he knew that time will be sometime in the foreseeable future. Before the child came into their lives they all lived for the sole purpose of revenge, planning to throw away their lives in order to seek vengeance on the damned Checkerface but now…

Now they had something else in their lives they wanted to live for. Now they had Tsuna.

Bermuda was no saint. He was a selfish, cruel man. He would use anything and everything in order to give the revenge he so richly craved for and still find a way to have Tsuna by his side like this- warm and safe. When the time draws closer he knew that his goals will be harder and harder to achieve if he kept aiming for both. One day he would have to choose and it will be a day something will be lost forever but right now as he stroked the child's soft brown hair to sleep Bermuda decided to just enjoy this moment with the child and let it be till later.

As he watched the small figure, do delicate and fragile falling slowly closer to sleep Bermuda began to hum a soft tune as he continued comfortingly stroking the other's fluffy hair. Soon the humming was accompanied by murmuring words till before the the arcobaleno realised it he had began singing a soothing lullaby.

_From the time your hand_  
><em>Didn't fit round my finger<em>  
><em>The first time that I saw you smile<em>  
><em>I realized why I'm alive<em>

A smile graced his lips as the boy unconsciously leaned toward his touch.

_And that time we_  
><em>First saw you enter you shocked me<em>  
><em>And when I saw you asleep with eyes filled with tears<em>  
><em>Let's still be clear, why I'm here<em>

He felt himself tense a bit when he saw the brunette in the Sawada household asleep from obviously crying whilst a party of all things was going on downstairs. He wasn't aware of such poor negligence on Tsuna during his visits and he sorely wished he had been a bit more observant. He would have noticed the signs - how the child would always eat a little more after coming back from Vendicare, how he barely mentioned his visits and more importantly how little a fuss was made when Tsuna had left home. As if almost sensing the growing animosity and anger of the older male the brunette furrowed his brows slightly and snuggled tighter to the other figure. Bermuda relaxed in response, there was something in Tsuna that seemed to calm him. He continued to quietly sing.

_When life throws you arrows and makes you feel small_  
><em>My love for you, child, will conquer it all<em>

He continued to look fondly on at the child, cherishing the moment and the memories and of what is to come in the future.

_So you don't have to worry_  
><em>Won't let the big bad world get you<em>  
><em>No you don't have to worry<em>  
><em>Won't let the big bad world get you no way~<em>

At this point he stopped sining as he felt the other's breathing even out, a sign he was deeply asleep. With a smile Bermuda stroked the other's hair one more time and hesitantly, almost shyly gave a small peck on the forehead.

"Happy Birthday Tsuna. May the night forever protect the sky."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah I know it's waaaay past Tsu's actually birthday but sue me. The idea came and I wasn't waiting a whole year to post this lol. <strong>

**Also that song is mainly from Big, Bad World by Guy Sebastian (suitable right?) They'll probs be more of that in the future too btw**

**ok well cyaaaa hope you liked!**


	9. Omake1

**HEY GUYS! Ok I have to make this quick cause I only got... 5 more minutes till wifi runs dry.**

**Awww I'm so glad about all the great reviews and ****positive stuff going on for my last chapter! **

**Anyway this is an omake so its sadly very short but I am working on actual chapters I swear~~~**

**Also I'm thinking bout a new series called The Little Tunafish (yaaay) I hope you'll all support it when/if I ever publish it**

**Well thanks for being patient and I hope you do enjoy this~~ **

**Ummm happy Christmas and Merry New year as well!**

* * *

><p><span>Omake1: Questions, Questions And Questions<span>

"Ne Jack-san?"  
>"Hmmm..?"<br>"What's the difference between cups and plates?"  
>"What? Well you freaking drink out of one for one thing."<br>"But you drink soup from a bowl."  
>"Yes.. But-"<br>"Wait so if you put tea in a bowl it becomes a cup?"  
>"I guess not…"<br>"So whats the difference?"  
>Jack broke out in cold sweat for the first time in a century as he took the mistake of looking directly at that large imploring gaze that seemed to think that the other held all the answers to the universe.<br>"Uhh." An intelligent reply. Tsuna stood on tiptoes making it even harder not to look away from those huge adorably pure eyes coupled with the childish expression of wonder made the Vindice guard cringe at the idea of disappointing him- even if the question was stupid.  
>"Jack-san?" A flash of confusion was shown on those cherubic features and the hotheaded arcobaleno wanted to be anywhere but here at this moment, victim to the child's intense gaze.<br>"If you don't kno-" Before the brunette could even finish his sentence Jack grabbed an unfortunate passing Vindice and ran off screaming something about sensing the sink was on fire and he was being summoned by the janitor. That was strange. Tsuna was pretty sure they had no janitor.

* * *

><p>"Why is it called a shipment of a parcel is delivered by a car and cargo when delivered by ship?"<br>Alejandro blinked along with two other Vindice by his side as they were blindsided by the unexpected question.  
>"Can you repeat that again Tsuna-kun?" The elder Vindice voiced with his usual frosty voice though everyone by now knew that the puppeteer user always saved a special soft voice personally for the child. Said child decided to repeat his question and waited patiently for it to sink in.<br>"Well I guess it's named because it just is. Much like how an apple is called an apple." The two guards by Alejandro nodded at the wise answer, once again secretly awed by how cool the stronger Vindice was. Of course then Tsuna just had to open his curious little mouth again.  
>"But wouldn't it have made more sense if cargo were for cars? And shipments for ships? Why the other way round?"<br>Silence. Silence and the sound of the trio of guard's brain malfunctioning.  
>Finally the elder Vindice coughed very importantly and with dignity as his two followers looked to him waiting for his wise words to flow from his mouth like a waterfall in the middle of a desert. A moment of tense hope filled silence was met as they all waited.<br>"Go ask Jäger." Alejandro deadpanned as he turned and walked off dignified carrying an air of status with an ever so slight hint of embarrassed irritation.  
>The other two guards followed quickly however Tsuna noticed a slight stumble in their usually graceful step which was possibly the closest thing to an anime style tumble he would ever see from them.<p>

* * *

><p>Small Gia and Big Pino had just come back from a mission hauling two half dead mafioso back like sacks of rice. The sight that greeted them back in Vendicare was certainly... Strange at the least. Gia always being the more expressive of the two raised his brow as they took in the sight. Guards left and right were acting weirdly.<br>Some were in shouting matches with each other, their coarse underused voice grating and gravelly. Some were in a fetal position rocking themselves back and forth in a corner and the others we're banging their heads softly on the nearest flat surface, all mumbling incoherently about something to do with cups, cars and other such nonsense that the duo couldn't comprehend.

Only one person could hold this much power over the Vindice. Only one person could reduce them to such an unsightly state.

With short purposeful steps Gia strode to the nearest Vindice curled up in a ball in the corner. Lifting the taller male by his black coat the shorter of the two proceeded to shake him roughly. "Oi! Where the hell is the chibi?!" The Vindice guard who before was muttering incoherent syllables immediately regained his composure. Stammering his words in embarrassment he directed the duo to the child's location before being flung to the ground by a scowling but curious Gia. 'What the hell did the kid do?' As they kept walking still carrying the two mafioso they came across more of their comrades in the same if not worse state. The shorter male couldn't help but grin sadistically thinking of all future teasing at the victims expense. 'And how the hell can I do it?'

Finally after following the trail of mentally traumatised guards they found Tsuna who had been waiting patiently by the kitchen for his dinner like he hadn't just caused the proud ever stoic, powerful Vindice feared by all- to curl in a corner and cry. The chefs who had watched the scenario play out were for once glad they couldn't speak.  
>"Oi kid- what the hell did you do to everyone?!" Tsuna looked up, a little surprised as he picked up the almost incredulous tone with a slight touch of respect. "What are you talking 'bout Gia-san?" The duo stared confused at the child. The child stared back with equal confusion. The mafia groaned in pain.<br>Wordlessly the shorter guard picked the brunette up as the child giggled at the action. Carrying the other in his arms like a large teddy bear Gia led the boy to the main hall where most of the victims were held. After dropping the brunette rather ungraciously the Vindice gestured to the chaotic scene before them as if to answer the boy's previous question. If the look on the small child's face was any indication apparently Tsuna didn't intentionally cause this worrying yet very amusing state of all the guards. "Hieeee?! B-but all I asked was just some questions..." Now it was the two guard's turn to look at him strangely and in disbelief. "Pupip pupipu puppip?!" The brunette frowned slightly trying to interpret the larger guard's language- he'd been able to now understand basic words like 'hello' or 'you hungry?' But translating the individual's unique language was a lot harder as it was only compiled of 'pu's and 'pi's. "He said- 'You did this with just questions?!'" The other guard translated curtly. "Now kid, what did you ask them?"  
>The guards in the room as one tensed as if what was coming out of the cute child's small mouth was a missile and not a few questions. However at the same time they edged closer wanting to see the reaction and answer of the duo when it comes. Jäger and Bermuda who were apparently the first to catch the situation had warped somewhere no one really knew, leaving his men to take the fall. Alejandro and Jack being the first few victims had gone into their rooms and refused to come out- it had been a good few hours since then. So it was no wonder they were all quite curious over how the most sadistic individual in Vendicare would handle this.<p>

* * *

><p>"What's the difference between a cup and a bowl?"<br>"Haa~aAHH?! Obviously the cup was made with the intention of being drunk from stupid kid."  
>Big brown eyes blinked. "Intention?" The other just scoffed like it was the most obvious thing ever. "Yeah, like the difference between mutts and pedigrees is that one was bred to be all perfect and shit but if ya think about it they are both dogs right?" Tsuna nodded slowly in understanding. "That makes sense..." At this point every guard listening in had their jaws to the ground. Of all people, guard, living and dead beings Small Gia seemed to be the one to answer the child's impossibly hard questions and make sense as well! Most of the guards if they weren't from the same generation knew nothing about the other Vindice preferring secrecy and silence over anything. Gia's coarse language and rough behavior caused everyone to immediately assume that he was anything but the intelligent type, so the shock that the short guard could answer what everyone failed to do was pretty great.<br>"Why is it called a shipment of a parcel is delivered by a car and cargo when delivered by ship?"  
>"To screw with you."<br>Or maybe the guard was just really, really good at bullshitting.  
>They all sweatdropped at the sadistic gleam in those eyes coupled with a toothy grin at the look of awe and respect emanating from the child toward him.<br>Yup definitely the latter.


	10. Chapter 9

**Happy new year guys! Just telling everyone- I'm going to change the rating from K+ to T due to swearing and possibly a little more mature themes that I may introduce.**

**I love you guys for such positive reviews on the omake- I was really worried it wouldn't be as funny as I hoped lol~**

**Also I swear to god next chapter will be ****happier! Probably... **

**Ummmm... Anything else to say oh!**

**To the anonymous people out there who made comments thanks! I'm so happy I made your day/night! XD**

**Now I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

><p><span>A Sickness, A Shaken Doctor And A Feeling of Fear<span>

Weeks. It had taken weeks but finally he had gotten a step closer. Tsuna threw back his head and laughed triumphantly like how he'd seen the caped men do on the TV show that Ieyasu seemed to like. Personally the brunette thought the whole show was kind of dumb- the so-called heroes never seemed to capture the villains who always manages to escape in the last minute and there is never proper judgement upon the crimes. No, the Vindice were definitely way cooler than those neon colored characters the boy decided stubbornly.

Looking at the flame in his hand, the brunette mentally patted his back. It was a brilliant yellow and deep indigo all at once, as it flickered one could see the edges were almost blue in color. Three different flames all in harmony.

It took a while and a lot of trial and error but he had finally found the perfect ratio for all three flames to co-exist as one, by adding Sky-san to help calm the other attributes the flame is able to stabilize its form. It was hard, there were quite a few accidents resulting in various burns (luckily these particular flames were already quite controlled compared to the more chaotic Storm-kun or unpredictably wild Night-san) however pure resolve pushed the child to continue on. Tsuna couldn't wait to see if his hard work has finally paid off, to see the proud glint in the eyes of the people he loved not to mention the rare look of surprise on their stoic faces. He giggled at the mental image and as he turned to skip out of the training grounds the brunette stumbled. 'Eh?' Suddenly his vision was blurring from reality and his tiny body felt heavy and unresponsive. A sense of fear and confusion clutched inside Tsuna as his mouth failed to make any sound but a sickening gurgle. Then there was darkness. And a sense of falling.

"Yo Tsuna I freaking heard a cras- CRAP TSUNA ARE YOU OKAY?!"

Jack spent no hesitation as he rushed over to the three-year old's side. He may have been dead for a long time but he recognized a sick person when he saw one. Without even thinking he lifted the boy up bridal style and rushed over to the Vindice Boss.

* * *

><p>"BOSS, TSUNA HAS COLLAPSED IN THE TRAINING GROUNDS!"<p>

"What?!" Immediately the arcobaleno was on top of Jack's shoulder looking down at the unconscious brunette in the taller one's arms. Feeling with tiny bandaged hands the youngest boy's forehead he swore under his breath. "His fever is high. Too high. Get some antibiotics from the medical infirmary." The baby ordered.

Something was wrong with Tsuna. And taking account the fact the boy practically lives in a very sanitary almost sterile environment as they never allow him near the prisoners and the guards themselves are unable to hold illness, whatever that's wrong with the child was no ordinary sickness.

Once the red-head laid the child on a nearby couch and practically dove into the portal the Vindice boss summoned Alejandro as well as any other guard that owned sun flames or had medical knowledge. Bermuda cursed the fact almost all the intelligent geniuses that were Arcobaleno had such weak bodies and died throughout the process of losing their pacifier. No it wasn't their fault. It was that damned Checkerface's. Everything can be blamed on that bastard. And no the boss of Vendicare would not say otherwise.

Word quickly spread like wildfire on the child's distressing condition, it wasn't hard for it to spark considering Tsuna was and will now always be a top priority in the Vindice. Jailers left and right kept rushing in and out of the boy's bedroom with various medicinal items and advice on how to handle the sick.

"I'll get tha cooks to whip up some chicken soup!"

"I have heard green onions to be effective when placed on the patients body."

"Maybe some fresh water from the Swiss Alps would help? We will obtain it right away."

"Chinese medicine in my day seemed to do wonders. Once Tsuna wakes up maybe he should try drinking some of these brewed herbs."

"Pupipu pipippupi uppipup."

"There is recent information that suggest the Bovino familigia has invented some sort of healing equipment. They have also been close to breaching a few laws and I'm sure..."

"Consuming dried antelope intestines were a practice used when sick in my village..."

"Keke I can go get some fresh blood to make..."

"Live cobra heart in a glass of its own blood..."

"Bath filled with sulfur rock from an active volcano..."

Needless to say Bermuda who hadn't once left Tsuna's side through the whole ordeal was earning himself quite a headache. What was worse was despite everyone's hardest (and increasingly disturbing not to mention morally greying) efforts the child showed no signs of recovery. In fact he was getting worse. By the time Gia and Jäger had procured a few vials of what they insisted was filled with the blood of Primo himself (which for their sakes better not have been the vials of blood they had been promised to protect), the Night Arcobaleno had just about had enough.

**"If thoughst doth not shutteth up. Thy _will_ find thyselves under thou wrath."** The baby boomed in his 'boss' voice, hollow and deep as it practically commanded all that heard it to immediately follow.

All chaos (not panic- the Vindice did _not_ panic) immediately ceased. Though Bermuda had learnt to hide it, once their boss got extremely angry or beside himself with another emotion (but they had yet to see _that_) the baby would tend to slip into his old-fashioned terms of language used in his old life. It told the guards two things about their mysterious boss. One- was that it reminded them on how long this endless accursed cycle had been going on in history and two- the man was very, _very_ pissed.

All was silence other than the irregular breathing of one sick brunette. "C-c-cold." Tsuna managed to groan out and almost immediately the brunette was buried in various blankets. Bermuda groaned. Apparently when one goes so long not caring about living things and being dead they become completely stupid when the time comes for one in taking care of someone.

"H...hot.." Came the muffled whine of the brunette and just as quickly was the blankets gone. The attention was turned once more to Tsuna. The bag of ice that was resting on his scorching forehead a few minutes ago was reduced to water, the child's rise in temperature was alarming to say the least and already the room was getting unbearably hot from just the mere heat radiating off the bedridden figure.

They had no idea what the child was ailed with. They had no extensive medical knowledge to help with. And they barely had any medical supplies to utilize if it takes a turn for the even worse. But they will not just sit and watch helplessly as their little sky dies. They had one last card in their deck. The jailers were hesitant to use it as once drawn information on Tsuna's existence in Vendicare could very well be compromised. However the Vindice will still be able to protect the boy with all their strength, what they couldn't protect was someone already dead. And if they didn't do something soon Tsuna could very well die.

With a silent nod to three of the guards Bermuda left (though unwillingly) Tsuna's side and at the same time the trio opened a portal ready to bring their last card out of the deck.

* * *

><p>To say this was one of the biggest scares in Shamal's life was a freaking understatement. A few seconds ago he was hitting on a very beautiful blonde and now he was face to face with members of the most feared enforcers in the underworld. Quickly he wracked his mind to find any reason for such a situation to have occurred. A few restraining orders, parking tickets and slaps to the face come to mind but no actual mafia laws being broken. Maybe the blonde beauty was who they were looking for?<p>

**"Trident Shamal."** Shit. **"Under orders you are to come with us to Vendicare in which what you will see will never pass through your lips."**

Well if that didn't sound terrifyingly ominous the man didn't know what did. Of course there wasn't much he could do to refuse, especially to the Vindice of all people. So he forcefully willed himself to nod in reluctant acceptance, inwardly praying to any female Gods for some miracle that could save him from what he could only think as a fate worst than death. Obviously no miracle appeared.

Once the guards were certain the terrified doctor will not run away the trio dragged the chained man through the portal, instructing him to hold his breath as individuals not holding a night flame could find themselves suffocated and incapacitated- possibly dead depending on the length of time subjected to the dark matter. It was the polite thing to do after all. Apparently Shamal didn't seem to think so based on the growing paleness of his face.

The doctor expected chains, he expected torture instruments maybe even a few scary scar-ridden muscular criminals. What he didn't expect was a scorching hot room where a small delicate feminine-looking boy was curled up on a bed. It didn't take an idiot to know why a medical genius like Shamal was brought to this room. He opened his mouth to protest.

"Oh no. No, no, no see I only treat fema-" However one glance at the menacing aura emitting from a horrifying large number of bandaged cloaked jailers successfully stopped the words of resistance from leaving his mouth. The guard behind him holding the chain bindings released the living man and pushed him (a little harshly not that the doctor was going to complain) toward the boy. "You will heal the child." Came the harsh raspy order that sent chills down the grown man's spine. The 'Or die trying' wasn't said but the doctor could read between the lines and unconsciously gave an audible gulp.

Not wanting to waste any of their time nor wanting to stay in this grey hellhole any longer than necessary the womanizing doctor moved closer to the sweating yet shivering form of the brunette. Going straight into professional mode Shamal began looking for symptoms as clues for whatever was plaguing the kid. He rested a hand on the boy's forehead, only to quickly retract it like he'd been burned- and to his surprise he actually was. Turning toward the guards in a mix of scientific curiousity and cool professionalism. "Has the brat-" **"Tsunayoshi."** One guard corrected in a growl. Shamal cleared his throat a little nervously. "*_ahem_* Yes uh, has... _Tsunayoshi-kun_ had any previous association with... Dying will flames?"

The silence to come was awkward and though Shamal couldn't see any change in the bandaged jailers' outward appearance somehow he sensed... Sheepish... Guilt? The pause was quick however and the doctor could only wonder if it was his crazed imagination finally caving from all this pressure. "Tsunayoshi has been able to access all his flames at age two."

A dark eyebrow was raised at that. 'If what they said was true than this child was very well a prodigy... Wait. _All_?' At that the eyebrow rose a little higher. "What do you mean _all_ of his flames?"

**"That is none of your concern Trident Shamal."** It was already killing them that they had to reveal their Tsuna to an outsider much less one that came from the mafia. The Vindice did not wish to reveal anymore information than necessary that could attract unwanted attention to the child they so desperately wanted to protect from the inevitable darkness that will one day too consume their pure innocent Tsuna.

"It is my concern. And yours and Tsunayoshi-kun's." The doctor was a little surprised by his own firm tone but quickly continued lest such attitude wasn't appreciated in Vendicare. "What I mean is that from the strange sudden symptoms Tsunayoshi-kun could be suffering from a disease from a consequence of Flame overuse. If I don't know anything about his flames it would be like searching for an ink stain in a black room with no light." Another lull in the rather short one-sided conversation was made as the jailers considered the living man's words. Then one of the more shorter guards stepped up though he couldn't see the other's eyes, Shamal could feel the intensity of the glare. 'Strange- this particular Vindice guard didn't seem as stoic as the others.' The doctor noted absentmindedly as he took a small step back just enough to get out of punching range. Apparently this guard also knew no personal space or he did and the jailer didn't very well give two damns as the shorter male moved intimidatingly closer like a lion stalking prey.

**"You listen here fucking greenhorn-"** Wow it had been a long time since anyone has every called him that. **"-none of this information will pass out of your lips if you want to see the outside world again."**

Once satisfied at scaring the shit out of the very willing to comply doctor, the short jailer stepped back, satisfied, into the mass of bandages, black cloaks and top hats. The moment the short guard seemed to disappear from view another guard whose black wavy coarse hair was revealed through wraps of bandages stepped up. This one if possible was even more intimidatingly fearsome, he could see the taller jailer's eye with its black sclera and white pupil and worst of all the power he exuded made the experienced mafioso doctor want to sink to his knees. A little part of Shamal wished for the shorter guard to come back. Only a little part though.

**"Tsunayoshi is in possession of and able to manipulate ten types of flames."** Despite the spine-chilling hollow voice that the doctor swore could haunt his nightmares it was the content of the words that caused his other eyebrow to shoot up, meeting with the one already raised.

'Ten dying flames?! I wasn't even aware there were eight flames but ten?!' "Fascinating." The doctor murmured genuinely curious at this new piece of information. Suddenly the child in front of him wasn't just a simple patient, he was a complex phenomenon defying years of what everyone thought on Flame capabilities, capable of changing the course of scientific history itself. However only if Shamal could save him that is. Which if what he learnt already about the boy and his symptoms would be a tremendous feat.

* * *

><p>"It seems to be a mutation of Skullitis from the markings appearing on the child's torso." The womanizer explained as he lifted up the small boy's shirt revealing a small image of a skull. The cloaked jailers said nothing, showed no indication of emotion or response yet internally their minds went into overdrive. Skullitis was a fatal and very rare disease that came from flame overuse, when the first marking is visible the victim will have only 2 hours to live. A cold dread seeped into each and everyone of them. <strong>"But Skullitis has no other side effects like what Tsunayoshi is going to."<strong> Jack spoke up, his voice still hollow and raspy was holding a slight waver as he tried his best to repress the emotions from reflecting through his voice.

"Yes that's right but as I said before this is a mutation. Therefore there will be a variation of symptoms, a different time limit and... Possibly will need a different cure." Another pregnant pause until- **"How long will it take?"**

Shamal sighed, "It will be hard but at my best maybe two and a half hours. I'm sorry." And he really was. However the jailers were too busy seething at the unfairness of it all. It was just like them to finally find their happiness only to have it taken away before their helpless, soulless eyes. **"You will do it in two hours."** The scariest jailer practically gritted out through the bandages, his one eye flashing with the silent promise of death if the other failed. Gulping the man nodded and was quickly warped to the medical room by the same trio that had chained him up before (he thinks- they all pretty much looks identical to him). He didn't even had time to question why the child was so important to the jailers, yes this child's existence was probably the scientific breakthrough of the century but the Vindice had never actually cared about anything but the Mafia Laws. They had no reason to even care for this kid, they were cruel and held no remorse for anything.

_So why?_

These questions and more however had to be pushed out of Shamal's mind. Right now he had a cure to create in an almost impossible time limit even for his medical genius. It was literally do or die.

* * *

><p>Time was running out for the doctor. Luckily he was very close to a possible cure as he isolated the genes for a new strain of Angelitis- a virus used to negate Skullitus. Unfortunately he needed 15 more minutes for the new strain to reproduce to a usable amount and he only had... 14 minutes. Now that may not seem like much more but Shamal was pretty sure a group that spent their life upholding the laws of the underworld with strict authority wouldn't appreciate one being late by half a second. And he wasn't keen on testing the theory out either.<p>

'Come on! Come on goddaMMIT!' The mosquito wielding doctor swore in his head as he looked at his watch and then to his virus. This could easily be the most life-threatening situation in his whole life. He couldn't die here! Not in this godforsaken place where the devils go to die! He hadn't flirted with enough females! Even worse he would die with none of those beautiful flowers known as girls in sight! Well maybe one of those guards were female but he hardly thought they counted and- "YES! OH SWEET MARY JESUS GRAZIE, OH GRAZIE!" Only ten seconds left and somehow the mutated Angelitus strain was complete. Triumphantly he poured the viral solution onto one of his trident mosquitoes- Angela's- trident shaped stinger then encased the bug into one of his capsules ready for transportation.

Now all he could do now was to hope - for Tsunayoshi and his sake.

* * *

><p>Tsuna's breathing was loud and erratic, his body temperature which had always been high had shot through the roof- even when the jailers tried to place ice near the boy it would melt a few feet from the sick child. It irritated and worried everyone present to the point of feeling sick which at the back of their minds they thought was strange considering they had no internal organs to feel sick on. They could all sense Bermuda too was deeply agitated as well from the fluctuations of night flames inside their bodies, they couldn't help but feel sorry for their boss. They couldn't afford to reveal the eighth Arcobaleno's existence and it must have almost killed the Vindice boss to be unable to be by their beloved brunette's side in his time of need.<p>

"_ah-ah-aaaAAHHhH!_" The boy who had become in so much pain that he could no longer talk, only whimper suddenly began screaming. Tears were welling up and falling down flushed cheeks, sizzling as they ran down. It was a horrible sight as the brunette's frail figure thrashed around revealing more and more skulls appearing on his white skin; Jäger, Jack, Small Gia and Alejandro all rushed to restrain him not caring that their mangled flesh was burning- they couldn't feel much pain anyway since their nerves have dulled. It stabbed their nonexistent heart when the boy cried, sobbing everyone's name pleading for them to help stop the scorching pain. Never did they want to see such hurt and despair on the child's face again.

It was at that time Ario, Emilio and Fico came back with the doctor at their side. Not even waiting for a greeting Shamal opened up the capsule he held unveiling a mosquito with a trident shaped stinger. The bug made no hesitation in stinging Tsuna and though they were all aware of Trident Shamal's techniques they tensed as they watched the sharp stinger pierce the lithe body.

The reaction was instantaneous. Tsuna calmed down, his tear soaked eyes fluttered shut tired from the ordeal and the room temperature went down to more tolerable levels. The Vindice let out breaths they didn't know they held, sending disguised looks of gratefulness and appreciation at the doctor (they didn't want the man knowing how close the child was to them however if the man broke a small mafia law they wouldn't mind letting it slide with a warning once). Shamal was too busy watching over the child's vital signs for any fluctuations to even notice the subtle behavior anyway. With an exasperated sigh he turned to the jailers. "Well Tsunayoshi-kun's worst is over however I need to watch over his condition as he recovers for about two weeks tops."

* * *

><p>Honestly after seeing how worried the supposedly emotionless monsters were (they may try to deny it and hide it but Shamal had seen his fine share of patients loved ones, no matter how discreet, cold or subtle they were the doctor knew grief when he saw it- though it honestly did take him a little while to notice) Shamal felt a little safer. Or at least confident enough to know they wouldn't kill the guy while he still had use to them. Probably.<p>

The next few days the boy was still weak and bedridden resulting in at least twenty Vindice guards ('it's like they never sleep!' Shamal mentally grumbled.) by the kid's side constantly. Sometimes at the corner of the doctor's eye he would see a shadow of a figure that could almost have been an arcobaleno... Great. Now he was hallucinating Reborns and that meant it was a good time for a quick nap.

Honestly in all the years he had lived and experienced, he would have never prepared for the moment of when the brunette opened his eyes. Which by the way were so goddamn big and cute Shamal almost doubted for a second the boy's gender. Instantly the room was filled with bandages and black cloaks. The doctor didn't know anymore to be petrified, impressed or slightly bemused at the sudden arrival of what seemed to be every jailer in Vendicare.

* * *

><p>If he saw past the intimidating appearance and wasn't aware that these umm... Individuals were well who they were the doctor could almost think they were doting on the admittedly adorable brunette and were being quite -God forbid- cute. At first this thought was promptly pushed far away from the man's mind and mentally burned into a crisp. This was the <em>Vindice<em> we are talking about! Cruel, cold monsters that have again and again been questioned of their humanity. Yet as the days went by as he took care of Tsunayoshi Shamal found himself slowly changing his opinion, even if it was a little bit. He also found himself understanding why such heartless beings had actually become attached to this one little kid.

"Shamal-sama thank you for saving me."

The doctor coughed nonchalantly hiding a slight blush and flutter of joy at the compliment as he continued taking the young boy's temperature. "I told you Tsunayoshi to drop the -sama suffix. And you have already thanked me an indefinite amount of times already."

"But I want to show you my appreciwation- it's the right thing to do! And I told you to drop the -yoshi part of my name." Tsuna added with a playful whine which couldn't help but get the older man's lips to twitch upward in amusement. Shamal wasn't easily swayed by brats but... Admittedly the kid had a certain charm in him, the brunette held a maturity that most adults didn't have as well as a kindness that could rival a saint and Shamal like that in a person. It also helped that he looked very much like a girl but the doctor wasn't going to say that out loud what with all those overprotective jailers around.

"Annnd... 54.7 degrees Celsius." The doctor raised a brow. "I think this is your normal temperature..?" The younger male nodded with a big grin. "Everyone says cause I have so many magic flames in me my normal temperature is around the mid-fifties." Before the doctor could even think how amazing the human body could stand such conditions small, warm hands tugged on his rugged large one. "C'mon Dr. Shamal-san let me show you around!"

"I don't think -" whatever form of protest died off as the elder made the mistake of looking into the little boy's wide imploring eyes that reminded him of a puppy dog- an exceptionally adorable puppy dog. It was a critical hit that not even Bermuda himself could come out unscathed from. Shamal never stood a chance.

"And here's the throne room where Boss usually sits. And here's -"

"Wait why is there a throne room just for sitting? Isn't there the Boss's office we passed a while back?"

"Yes but the throne room is for sitting and uhm.. I think everyone calls it giving a _friendly greeting_ to the newcomers."

Shamal shuddered at that. He was getting way too familiar with the interior of the inescapable prison, to be fair apparently Tsuna was only allowed on the ground floor and one of the lower floors that contained a training ground as well as a very beautiful library but still it was pretty huge. As Shamal passed by the throne room as Tsuna excitedly showed him around the man wondered absentmindedly if the throne was anything like the sheer decadence of a certain Varia leader's.

"So where is this kitchen anyway? I'm starving and you-" Shamal gave a pointed look toward the clumsy brunette he was currently bandaging after a particularly nasty fall over- 'seriously?'- thin air. "You need to eat more. Honestly is your mother even feeding you?" He immediately regretted the last question leaving his mouth as the smaller figure stiffened in response. Shamal couldn't see the brunette's eyes under the fluffy brown bangs but he could feel the hurt emanating from the child, he didn't want to pry into such wounds not when it was obvious the other didn't wish for it either so quickly he changed the subject. "You know I'm not that hungry anymore. Hmmm... Do you know how to play go fish?" Any negative tension residing in the boy disappeared as Tsuna immediately perked up at the mention of cards. With a cheerful nod he jumped up and ran toward his room to grab a deck. Shamal thanked God for making children so damn easy to distract.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Shamal-san do you have any twos?"<p>

"No."

"Dr. Shamal-san do you _have_ any twos?"

"Agh dammit Tsunayoshi fine here! Go fish!"

"Jack-san do you have any kings?"

"..."

Tsuna narrowed his eyes disapprovingly.

**"Go fish."** Reluctantly bandaged hands gave the card to a grinning brunette. Shamal could hear the other make a disapproving noise that sounded suspiciously like "freaking hell". Tsuna couldn't help but smirk slyly at the despairing two. He did so love being good at things.

* * *

><p>As the doctor gave the final okay to the child's stable condition the jailers could only give a slight nod as a sign they were listening. To any outsider it may have seen like the usual stoic emotionless Vindice jailers but really they were deeply troubled. And remained so even up till when Tsuna said his goodbyes, making the doctor promise to visit and even when leading the doctor back to the outside world.<p>

This sudden illness, the shock of it, the idea of how close to death the boy could have been sobered them all up from their delusions of happiness. They were the Vindice. Cold, ruthless monster only fueled by hatred and despair. Their life goals were revenge against the one who has wronged them or to die trying. They were the chaotic elements who had lost their sky.

And yet despite everything they had found a new one. Small, weak yet so full of kindness and acceptance that they had refused to crave. The little Sky loved the Night that had been shunned by all. And the Night in return grew to love the little Sky.

But as they watched their beloved charge- their beloved /child/ suffering as he lay on the bed they realized that the brunette was not like them. The boy was innocent. Untainted. Alive. And the thought weighed on them like a ten tonne hammer. The time for the passing over of the Pacifiers will come this century as well as the time for the Vindice to take revenge. But to gain the revenge they lived for they had to sacrifice their own lives. Could they do that now that they had Tsuna? To leave him alone?

The other option was no better either. They would all have to watch the human they cared for age and perish before their eyes, for not even they could stop the hands of time nor the turns of cruel fate. And could their heart take such sadness? Would it once more stop beating?

They thought about the idea of reviving the child with Night flames however the person revived wouldn't be Tsuna, just an emotionless being driven by hatred just like they had been. They had changed because of a miracle. Tsuna was their miracle. Reviving the child would just be prolonging the suffering, wallowing in denial and slowly pushing away the inevitable hurt. No. Once the boy leaves the world they were sure they could never get him back. And somehow that revelation shook their very core in fear.

The future was so far away yet at the same time so close for the beings that haves lived for so long.

* * *

><p>However as they looked at the sleeping brunette who had drifted off to the land of dreams whilst trying very hard to listen to their weekly meeting everyone couldn't help but give a smile, it was a faint shadow of a smile but it was genuine.<p>

They had spent their whole afterlives upholding the laws of the mafia and if God would grant them one act of selfishness it would be to let every jailer spend every moment in the present with Tsuna.

As the meeting finally ended each guard stood up, walked past Tsuna and gave him a gentle pat on the head. Some took the time to ruffle his fluffy hair. Some whispered hoarse words that only the jailer and Tsuna would ever know. Finally as everyone left the room to go back to their usual duties only Bermuda remained, sitting on the sleeping child's chest.

With small bandaged hands the Night Arcobaleno pushed a few stray hairs from the boy's face. He hated how useless he was in his accursed body more than ever as he was forced to watch and worry in the shadows, out of sight. It had been bad enough that he was unaware of Tsuna's family situation at home but now this? For the first time in probably forever Bermuda felt like a complete failure and he didn't like this new feeling at all.

"I am so sorry Tsuna."

"Don't be." The voice was soft with an undertone of drowsiness. Behind the bandages Bermuda blinked. Then he lightly yet firmly placed his hands onto the now awake brunette's chubby cheeks looking straight into those caramel brown pools. "But I am. When you needed me I-I could not be there for you. I have failed you." The Vindice boss was surprised at the waver of his voice however he quickly accepted that vulnerable part of himself, after all it was because of Tsuna and that is a reason in its own. Even though it was dignified, even though it wasn't strong of him, Bermuda couldn't look the young boy in the eyes anymore. It was laughable how the ex-strongest arcobaleno, the boss of Vindice who uphold the laws of the mafia, to protect those wronged couldn't even help the small sky that had accepted who he was. All thoughts stopped as warm hands encased his own chubby cheeks.

"Please look at me Bermuda-san." Looking up he could see Tsuna's eyes glow a faint vibrant orange filled with strength and resolve. With hope. And love. "You have not failed me. Nor have you left my side in my weakest moment." At this a soft smile graced soft lips. "A part of me knew you were there, watching over, silently protecting me like a knight in the shadows."

Bermuda was at a loss for words. In his whole life he had to strive for perfection, to be_ the_ strongest, to uphold the mafia laws to a tee. Even the slightest failure was unacceptable or at least horribly punished. Yet here he was being forgiven. Being accepted. From unable to grasp a single form of a word in his head, four words suddenly appear more prominently than ever. It had always been there, echoing in his head but the arcobaleno never voiced it, in fact no member of the Vindice had voiced it yet. But right now it seemed so right to say, the words which should have been so awkward for Bermuda who had not ever been so emotionally close to another living being, was rolling off his tongue smoothly like melted chocolate.

"I love you Tsuna."

Tsuna looked shocked and for a split second the deceitfully younger looking male thought he made a huge mistake. Then caramel brown eyes crinkled in teary joy and cherubic features changed from determined to pure ecstatic happiness. Flinging arms around the bandaged baby Tsuna muffled words under his sobs and into the black feather lining of the other's coat. Words only the two Night flame holders could hear. Words only for the two.

"I love you too."


	11. Chapter 10

**Hey hey~**

**I really don't know where this one was heading honestly. Apparently it was more OCs (goddammit)**

**Also more songs in this chapter. Yes that's just going to be a thing in this. When I don't know how to work a scene I usually have one song that goes perfectly for it. Seriously I have a whole playlist perfect for various future scenes of this fic. (don't judge me)**

**Anyway I have put up a poll on my profile (yaaay) please check it out~~**

**oh also OMG GUYS I have like 26 reviews for my last ****chapter~ aaawww I have usually on average like 15 reviews each but this has made me sooo happy! And over 300 followers- are you kidding me?! (squeal) **

**That makes me like almost halfway there on being a kinda popular fanfic writer! And I'm so glad you guys like the first chapter of The Little Tunafish! **

**Ok I kept ya waiting long enough~~ Please enjoy!**

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><p><span>A Game, A Fall And A Room full of Strangers<span>

* * *

><p>"Found you!"<p>

The crouched Vindice gave a playful scowl of annoyance and affection as he crawled out his hiding place, unveiling himself from under the bed, covered in grey camouflage paint. The little Vindice dressed in white and orange giggled excitably, his gravity defying hair sticking out of his outfit shaking in laughter as the other 'found' Vindice guards sweatdropped. Alejandro being one of those guards couldn't help but let a small (but still dignified) sigh escape his cracked lips. Just how did they get into this embarrassing situation?

* * *

><p><span><em>Flashback<em>

_"Alejandro-san, Alewamdro-san!" The old Vindice and the guards gathered around him holding their daily reports for the day all turned to look down at the excitable child all holding a soft gaze reserved only for the other. "Yes Tsuna-kun?" Came the raspy reply, the tone still cold but did not hold it's usual icy freeze. The young boy seemed extra adorable today, his cute puffy marshmallow-soft cheeks held an endearing pink blush and the child was fidgeting in the perfect mix of nervousness and giddiness, he must have been really excited if the brunette was reverting back to his baby-like pronunciation however it only added to his charm. "A-ano... Will you guys play hide 'n sewk wif me?"_  
><em>Honeyed brown eyes looked up, so full of hope at the guards. They looked at the paperwork in their hands and thought of the work they still needed to fulfill by today, then they looked back at those large brown eyes, then back at the stack of papers. Tough decision. All the Vindice there turned to Alejandro with a glimmer in their eyes that can almost be akin to pleading. The elder Vindice looked at his subordinates dryly, he had come from a noble hard-working heritage and not once had he ever skipped out on work- no matter how mind-numbingly boring. However the guard made the fatal mistake of looking directly into those large caramel brown eyes again. Eyes so wide and full of hope that if Tsuna had been asking them to jump off a tower they'd be running toward it. Damn, they should make a law against the persuasive abilities puppy dog eyes hold, especially in the hands of a certain Sawada Tsunayoshi. It also didn't help that the boy was wearing his custom Vindice outfit from his birthday that seemed to never fail in melting any strengthened resolve they held. After a moment of internal debating the guard looked to the child and gave an exasperated smile of surrender. "What's one or two rounds going to hurt?"<em>

_End flashback_

* * *

><p>Apparently the answer was a lot. To their pride at least. The man mentally scowled as he and all the other Vindice who had been found by Tsuna walked behind the child like baby ducklings to their momma, if that wasn't mortifying enough since the child couldn't create portals like them they all had to walk around the halls searching for the other hiding guards as amused cloaked undead bystanders watched with smirks plastered on their damned undead faces. Damn the cuteness of the child and its magical persuasive properties. Maybe Small Gia was right in trying to utilize such sheer pure adorableness for interrogation purposes.<p>

As the line of Vindice continued to follow the small cosplaying child with as much dignity and grace they could possibly muster despite their circumstances they noted with some approval that the interval between searching and finding the guards had lowered but by bit. Apparently hide and seek served as good practice for the boy's intuition. At least they had the pleasure of watching the child's talents grow, even when said child wasn't fully aware of it himself.

Their train of thought however was abruptly out to a stop when the Orange Vindice did. For a second Tsuna paused as if sensing or listening to something the other guards couldn't hear and ran off (almost tripping a few times on his cape in the process) to a seemingly random direction. Not one to be left behind the line of guards quickened their pace to follow the surprisingly swift child (another flare of pride burst inside them at the thought of the training with the kid paying off).

They entered an empty bedroom with Tsuna looking like a dog sniffing out a bone as he rummaged around however instead of a bone he was searching for a hidden Vindice guard, an individual that made even the greatest hitman not wish to cross. His brows furrowed cutely as he found almost no trace of anyone in the room. Was the little tingling feeling wrong? It hadn't been before and he didn't see why it would fail now. Just as he began the second round of searching the child clumsily tripped on nothing but the floor. The guards watching either fought the urge to sigh or coo at the sight, to their credit they still remained impassively stoic to which they all mentally patted their backs considering it to be their biggest achievement of the day. And isn't that just a little bit _sad_?

The brunette picked himself up and dusting himself off as he held off a sniffle at the pain. He didn't want to look weak in front of everyone and he was pretty proud that he'd managed to not fully burst into tears at all since he entered Vendicare. Well not in front of the Vindice anyway. Though something told him that Bermuda was suspecting something was wrong, however other than a few times he caught the bandaged baby staring intensely at him after he had cried himself to sleep or before and after his monthly visit to his so-called house their was no actual evidence to back the suspicion. But that strange nagging feeling was insisting persistently something else.  
>Where were we? Ah <em>right<em>. The brunette furrowed his brow further as he put his top hat which had dropped off during the fall back on his fluffy head. He could have swore that this time he didn't just trip on thin air. Waddling cutely to where he tripped the small child bent down to examine the floor, using his hands to feel rather than just relying on his eyes. It took a little while but he found what he was hoping to find, triumphantly he dug his tiny fingers into a thin almost unidentifiable notch on the grey marble flooring. Curiously he applied pressure and a small but audible _*click*_ was heard and a small trapdoor opened revealing a sheepish looking guard.

* * *

><p>They all swore they could hear the whirring mechanism in the brunette's head at the implication of a secret passage. Everyone tensed slightly as the short figure turned to them, eyes emitting all sorts of sparkly flowers. "Ne, does this mean their are <em>other<em> secret passages hidden throughout Vemdicare?!" The young child practically squealed at the prospect, his curiosity overflowing and childish excitement evident.

The cloaked jailers shuddered faintly at the sparkles emitting from the boy. Tsuna was a kind, timid, adorable kid. But _hell_ did trouble seem to follow like a persistent stalker, only revealing itself whenever the Vindice look away for even a second. They were the most feared, powerful enforcers in the world yet they still could never quite comprehend how they _lost_ a three-year old in their _own_ prison nor how when they finally located said three-year old in the now _ruined_ lower floor bathhouse, all water pipes either burst or damaged, somehow the water was a fluorescent pink color that had also spread to the rest of the water system and didn't leave for a week. They all had to do their duties at nighttime so their victims wouldn't notice the faint neon pink shade on their bandages they wore. Needless to say that giving the boy access to the various secret trapdoors and passages in Vendicare- a prison filled with the underworld's worst- was not exactly on the top of their lists.

"Tsuna-kun" A guard stepped up with a stern look that would have made most children, no, most grown men cry upon sight. Tsuna only looked quietly at the guard who had spoken with equal intensity. He knew that the guard wasn't mad and even if he was Tsuna knew showing any sign of fear or weakness would have made it worse. Luckily he had never come across a situation where he had angered any of the guards and he would very much like to keep it that way. Appreciating the strong gaze from the child the guard's own facial features softened ever so slightly on his stoic face. "It's your turn to hide."

At the statement the brunette lit up like a light. Alejandro looked to something akin to approval to his subordinate, the guard had used the child's limited concentration and attention span to distract the boy and avoid any imminent headaches or pink clothing in the future. Yes he definitely deserved a reward. Maybe a little time off which the guard would obviously spend with the child. The jailers of Vendicare had no interest in material items so raising their already high pay held no real value to them, however everyone loved Tsuna and more Tsuna time was a privilege everyone wanted.

Previous thoughts temporarily forgotten the boy decided to give his strictest face as he ordered the guards to close their eyes and count to a hundred. They all nodded as they absentmindedly thought the child's attempt at a stern look was more akin to the amusing and adorable sight of a pouting small animal. As they followed the small brunette dressed up as a fellow Vindice's order said brunette quickly scampered out of the room.

They began counting up to a hundred however midway through a guard suddenly realised something. "Uhm... Was it a good idea to let the child go unsupervised with knowledge that there is a possibility of hidden passages?" Alejandro turned so sharply that if he had a living body he probably would have gotten whiplash, his usual calm dignified composure thrown out the metaphorical window as he raised his usual soft icy voice. "WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

* * *

><p>Making a bee-line to his room Tsuna let out a small childish giggle. Who knew this hide and seek was so fun?! He saw Ieyasu playing it with his friends the last time he visited and they looked like they were definitely enjoying themselves. A part of him wished his twin would have at least thought to <em>offer<em> him to join.  
>Tugging down his white and orange top hat to hide his deepening frown of disappointment, the brunette pushed his darkening thoughts out to focus on the more pressing issue on where to hide. He may be young but he held no delusions on his skill (or lack of it) compared to the Vindice. Not wanting to be a disappointing hider the child decided to go with the simple strategy to hide in plain sight. The jailers were used to hunting down skilled, complicated mafioso so by going to the most obvious place- his own bedroom- hopefully it would throw them off a bit.<p>

Feeling like some sort of spy, the child cutely hugged the walls as he tried to imitate something akin to a ninja. Whenever a guard would pass by Tsuna would momentarily forget himself and happily wave, brightening especially when the other elder Vindice would return the gesture then the boy would scrunch up his face endearingly and press a finger to his mouth as a gesture of silence. Amused and inwardly squealing (which they will deny tooth and nail if questioned) at how simply precious this little brunette was. A few more tech-savvy younger guards of a more recent generation whipped out their cameras and rushed to quickly get the content printed. Though the child knew better than anyone that the guard's wouldn't disclose where he was going to hide, all the waving and picture taking was severely compromising his position; he wished he knew how to teleport like the others. Maybe after this he'll ask Bermuda to teach him that spell, he'd definitely make sure to use his biggest puppy dog eyes.

Finally he reached his room. Closing his door as quietly as possible the brunette surveyed the area with calculating eyes. In the end the boy locked in on his wardrobe, it was filled with clothes (courtesy of all the female Vindice, Jäger and surprisingly Big Pino who despite his large stature was very goof with his hands) making it a very comfortable place for a child to stay in for long periods of time. Before he made his way to the wardrobe however the child hesitated. Then quickly grabbed with tiny hands the fire red iPod and headphones the brunette had gotten for his birthday.  
>What? He wanted a good place to hide, not a cramp and mind-numbing boredom.<br>The back of his mind was warning him that the Vindice would begin searching very soon. Tsuna pouted a little at that- he was very sure it wasn't even near a hundred seconds yet! But he couldn't exactly complain right now so the brunette just swiftly jumped into his wardrobe, careful to close the doors as silently as he could whilst he snuggled into the corner.

* * *

><p>It took only ten minutes of silent darkness before Tsuna felt bored and lonely. Who knew the hiding part was sooo boring? It was a strange feeling being bored. The boy always was doing something- physical training, play with his flames, sparring (and failing) with the guards, chatting with everyone and when he wasn't spending time with his beloved jailers Tsuna spent the rest of the time reading various books either from the large library or his own gifts, writing down notes in his notebooks or training and experimenting with his magic flames by himself. It had been around two months after Bermuda and he actually voiced that they loved each other they had been closer than ever, since both rather liked their peace and quiet they had decided to spend their peace and quiet together.<p>

It was fun and relaxing however today Bermuda had a lot of paperwork which the brunette was _not_ willing to help out with. No. He had tried helping out one time and it had honestly been the most mind-numbingly boring thing in the world. Childishly he swore to never be a boss with this much paperwork. But as he waited for the seconds to tick by Tsuna felt a pang of unwanted nostalgia, reminding him of that awful period before the Vindice, that time where he had no one to look for him when he was in the shadows, no one to rescue him from the inescapable loneliness that would have driven him slowly insane with only the books as comfort. He wondered what life would have been if not for such a fateful encounter, the feeling inside him squirmed as if trying to convey how very different things could have been.

Deep in his thoughts the boy unconsciously snuggled in closer to the corner, one hand tightly holding the gifts from Jack and the other grazing the flooring beneath the small figure as a support. However the free limb stopped as fingers felt something familiar in a seemingly random place on the floor of the wardrobe. A notch.  
>The small Vindice cosplayer gave a sharp intake of air. Not even thinking properly as all logic was promptly pushed aside and the warning ringing of his intuition was ignored by childish excitement, the child began fiddling with the notch in an attempt to find whatever secret it held. Large brown eyes squinted for a better view in the darkness as tiny fingers twiddled with the mysterious crack. As he twisted and pulled the brunette finally heard a resounding <em>*click*<em> before he suddenly felt the ground underneath him open up.

'Eh?'

_'Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh?!'_

The shocked and fairly regretful child didn't even have a chance to scream before falling into the dark abyss. Many things ran frantically in his mind. However the most prominent thought that kept popping up in his head was simply- 'I hope to god Gia-san didn't create this.'  
>All things occupying his mind promptly vacated however as the painful feeling of hitting a hard surface made extra sure to be <em>very<em> well known. "Ite, ite..." Quickly Tsuna checked his body for any injuries like he had been taught to do then began observing his surroundings. Thankfully all he gotten were a few ugly bruises but nothing broken. As the small boy looked up, the first thing he noticed was the walls unlike the walls he was used to were a blinding white. The second thing was he was in a hall with around forty square rooms with bars on them. The third was that each room held one person wearing a moss green jumpsuit similar to the design of prisoners the child had seen in books and cartoons. The fourth was these people were staring at him, making the shy boy very uncomfortable. And the fifth and probably the most important thing Tsuna noticed was... There was no door. No escape. _Oh dear_.

* * *

><p>"Oi. Who the hell are you?"<p>

"_Hiee?!_" Tsuna couldn't help but squeal in surprise as he turned to the unexpected voice behind him. There behind sterile white bars was a large, muscular, scarred man with semi-long uneven raven hair and scary sharp brown eyes. If the child didn't know he was in one of the prison areas holding hardened mafia criminals, he was very aware of it now. Those eyes sharpened further into a disgusted glare and scar torn lips pursed into a grimace. "I have never seen an orange Vindice. Let alone one so... small and weak-looking."  
>It finally dawned on the brunette that he was still dressed up in his Vindice outfit. And all these people thought he was therefore part of Vindice. The child decided that it would be bad if they found out who he really was soo... "Hai... I am Tsu. A-a new guard." Inwardly the boy winced. He wasn't good with strangers and while he could bluff easily, long-term lies were much harder to do. And this time he couldn't rely on raising his cute meter to get out of the situation. In short this was very unknown territory. Hopefully Alejandro-san and the others will realise what's happened soon. The scary man before him seemed suspicious but finally after a tense silence it seemed he accepted it. Feeling a little bit more confident Tsuna turned to face everyone else with a dazzling smile they could practically feel even under the bandages. "Uhh. So hello evewyone! I'm Tsu. And you all are?"<p>

They wanted to ignore the tiny guard. To cuss or yell obscenities like always. They were criminals among criminals. They weren't just going to introduce themselves like kindergarteners! Not even for that strangely compelling bright sparkly aura exuding from the orange and white Vindice. They didn't care how kind of cute the jailer looked. They were criminals, they were not- "Kazumasa Dijo. Ex-Heir of the Dijo Familigia."

Surprisingly the first to break was the scary scarred samurai. However once he gave into Tsuna's adorable cuteness that not even one Vindice guard could withstand for long the other inmates soon followed.

"Marcos Rovida. One of the possible heirs of the Beck Familigia. And a delightful pleasure." A rather tall, wirey man with slicked back dirty blonde hair, dark green eyes that flashed with mischief and a smile like a fox practically purred at Tsuna as he extended his hand through the bars. The brunette was just about to respond to the gesture in turn when another voice cut in. "Ah wouldn't do that if ah was ya'll."

Turning to the cell next to the wirey man was a rather scruffy yet equally as intimidating and muscular man. "That guy'll screw anything small and even remotely alive." The man drawled in a heavy American accent, drooping blue eyes twinkled dimly under the artificial light as he scratched his messily cropped dark oak hair. "Dalt Wittmann. Bastard child of the boss of the Nuevo Familigia."

The brunette realised after about the twelfth introduction that all these imprisoned in this particular area were all possible heirs or very high ranking mafiosos related to Bosses. Tsuna didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

After all the introductions there was an awkward tense silence. The child fidgeted uncomfortably under the gazes of the mafiasos. A small part of him wished that he had asked more about what happens with their dealings in terms of prison treatment. Apparently the bliss that came from ignorance was only temporary. Unable to take it anymore he blurted out the first question in his head. "A-ano- so why are you all here?"

The brunette began sweating bullets as the atmosphere became almost suffocating under the disturbing mix of darkened glares and sadistic, maniacal grins. "Ah, you don't have to answer if you don't want t-" "Keh I'm here for breaking the Omertà and selling out family secrets."

The small guard was a little taken aback from the sudden answer. "Why would you do that?"He asked innocently wit a strange mix of sick fearful curiosity. The prisoner who answered smiled greedily with only a mouth half filled with teeth. "Money of course." Tsuna was shocked. He would _never_ sell out his family for money! Many others began telling almost proudly their misdeeds and terrible actions- murder, torture, betrayal- for such petty reasons to the simple child- money, fame, satisfaction. Some like the American and the samurai refused to divulge their pasts which the boy respected, in a way happy some people in these cells held at least some sort of ruefulness for whatever actions they incurred.

"Well I, mon petite cherie- am here on a minor misunderstanding." The wirey blond said dramatically with the large smile plastered on his face. The brunette however had much experience in observing and identifying the various subtle almost non-existent changes of emotion in the stoic Vindice jailers and a half-hearted fake smile did nothing to fool the boy in not seeing the weary, guilt-scarred face underneath the mask.

Another prisoner practically spat at the other. This one had a large scare from his left eye to the bottom of his right ear. "Misunderstanding my ass! You screwed my boss's son and killed him. You damn. Fucking. _Pedophile!_" The last word was practically scrunched up and spat out like poison, Tsuna carefully noted to ask about that word later (Vindice around the globe suddenly as one felt a strange foreboding feeling). Apparently a lot of people held a lot of disgust to this man as they too began lashing out various obscenities, threats and other bad things that Tsuna absentmindedly thought he really shouldn't be hearing at his rather tender age. The people who weren't yelling such mean things were not exactly protecting or defending the man either. The brunette wondered why such a person who could incur such hatred, no- why such a person would personally go out of his way to incite and spark such anger smiled so sadly, Tsuna sensed the man held no malicious intent when he extended his hand nor was the child sensing any now. He didn't understand complicated social things like labels and such but the child knew that for whatever reason this man seemed intent on punishing himself by making his own life miserable. And Tsuna didn't like that one bit.

In fact Tsuna didn't like any of this. He didn't like how easily over half these people held no such remorse for what they have done. He didn't like how rude they were being to him which implies how rude they were to the actual Vindice. And he certainly didn't like how confident they were on getting out of this place- Vendicare was supposed to reform them! If they didn't learn their wrongs then the Vindice would have wasted their time and effort for nothing and if the brunette was going to have days all alone in the grey halls he would very much like to know it was for a reason. Childishly he felt himself getting angry at the raucous noise. The brunette felt he had to do something, anything to make an impact on these lawbreakers. The boy then noticed a large beautiful white cross at the other end of the hall, ironic considered where it was placed- a room filled with sinners and a child that had given up after many prayers to be forgiven by his mother, maybe it was a joke by one of the more sadistic pranksters in the Vindice or the more religious. Either way a little idea began to form. It wasn't well planned, not even remotely thought out but the child was very aware that he couldn't change these men. The least he could do was make them shut up and hopefully silenced them for a little while.

Hastily the orange and white clad mini Vindice pulled out his red iPod and scrolled down discreetly. Finally he found the song he had been searching for. Yes a song. Tsuna was going to sing, he'd been meaning to practice his singing anyway since the child wanted to start playing with the karaoke machine Jager gave him (Again the Vindice as one stopped whatever they were doing -paperwork, daily duties, torture, having a cup of tea- and shuddered subtly as an ominous feeling settled over them).

* * *

><p>The notes of a violin was heard over the sounds of verbal chaos. A sound so foreign, so long forgotten to the inhabitants in these white walls they all stopped to listen.<p>

_I don't know if You can hear me_

_Or if You're even there_

All eyes turned to the small Vindice that they had completely forgotten about. They could tell the bandages covering the little jailer's eyes and mouth were ripped off, yet the guard's head was down and the shadow from the orange, white top hat obscured the face from their view. The imprisoned mafiosos never imagined to ever catch a glimpse behind those bandages let alone hear such a breathtakingly pure voice.

_I don't know if You would listen_  
><em>To a small child's prayer<em>

The little Vindice lifted his head and the grown hardened criminals let out an inaudible sharp intake of breath. Big wide eyes greeted them but that wasn't the reason for their gasp. It was the color. Or rather the lack of color. A faded orange shimmered sadly in the child's pupils, a similarly colored small flame burst onto his forehead as well- a mixture of the sky and the stars- yet despite the lack of saturation in those eyes they seemed to sparkle and hold a strong storm of emotions giving the young boy an ethereal beauty.

_Yes, I know I'm just an outcast_  
><em>I shouldn't speak to You<em>

The tiny guard so small and fragile walked with unusual grace, so much so it could almost look like floating as he strode slowly, purposefully toward the cross at the end of the hall.

_Still I see Your face and wonder_  
><em>Were You once an outcast too?<em>

Even if it was a spur of the moment. Tsuna meant everything he said. Constantly wondering, asking why he was different, why he had to be hated and ignored by his own flesh and blood. He had read the bible once. But even that held no answers. Only more questions.

_God help the outcasts_  
><em>Hungry from birth<em>  
><em>Show them the mercy<em>  
><em>They don't find on earth<em>

The child turned from the cross to face his imprisoned spellbound audience as he continued the song. Tsuna knew- no he sensed- these people were just like him. They were not wanted in their family- whether it to be circumstances of birth, fear, the rights to inherit and more- just like him. They were outsiders like him. Outcasts. Like him. But unlike him they didn't find another to be accepted by. Tsuna had the Vindice. They had no one. And that knowledge upset the child more than anything. If no one will accept them, at least he would even despite their sins.

_Please help the people_  
><em>They look to You still<em>

The prisoners listened as the hauntingly delicate yet strong beautiful voice echoed through the walls. Emotion dripped from each word and they felt every drop of it. Sadness, empathy, forgiveness and most importantly- acceptance.

_God help the outcasts_  
><em>Or nobody will<em>

Suddenly the air around them seemed to distort and blur as a shimmery yet almost alive substance seeped from small bandaged hands. At first nothing seemed to happen as they all held their breath and looked in silent wonder at this strangeness, then a few of the faint sparkles seem to glow and pulse more noticeably as the air began to take a slight orange tinge. Each second felt like hours as they watched faint silhouettes of figures seem to morph from each little star as if being called by a siren's song. Each prisoner shivered in awe and fear as they recognized some of those figures, figures they knew from a life out of these bars, figures that haunted their dreams and waking moment. The figures whose souls were taken as a consequence of their sins.

**_You asked for wealth,_**

Terrifying. That was the word to describe the situation to these breakers of the law as the listened to the hollow, cold voices of the dead. Spirits flew closer to their killers as if mocking them who could feel the temperature around them dropped to spine-chilling. Raw emotions of hurt, hatred and betrayal rang out as well as the living begging for forgiveness.

**_You asked for fame_**

The shimmering translucent figures clawed at their paling makers. These were people who died because of them, because of their selfishness and greed. Tsuna watched the scene play out in curious wonder, it really had been his first time successfully calling out the spirits. Of course it wasn't that hard considering many of those ghosts were already floating around nearby their respective 'hosts'. Though it was a little harder in manipulating the paranormal figures however the child can sense more or less a willingness in the beings, a sense of vindication yet deeper down a sense of worry and responsibility.

_**You asked for glory to shine on your name**_

While each prisoner were surrounded by many souls the brunette zeroed in to Marcos Rovida who had only one lingering ghost of his past, of his sins. From the look of clear blatant shock plastered on the blonde's face it was easy to assume that this was the young man the mafioso apparently raped and killed. With a subtle wave of his bandaged covered hand all other voices quietened in volume as the young rather beautiful ghostly figure cupping gently the blonde mafioso's face opened his mouth.

_You asked for love,_

The ethereal translucent face neared the living being's own, lips barely brushing over each other before pulling away as Marcos could see the sadness in those dead eyes. He could see slight blurring running down the shimmering figures cheeks- tears? Could ghosts cry? It didn't matter as he felt wetness falling down his own face as well.

_you can't possess_

The feelings of hurt and something else was evident on the man's features. It looked very familiar to Tsuna. It reminded him strangely of the first time his mother rejected him, looked at him like a monster and he knew what was going through her head. Ah. That's right. Of course Tsuna recognized the something else. Heartbreak. The brunette realised this man must have really loved the other and vice versa if the feeling of sad affection pulsating in the flames solidifying the spirit was any indication. Slightly reluctantly the child broke up the tragic reunion as he once again called the lingering spirits to him. They began circling around the small Vindice once again singing in their hollow voices.

**_I ask for God and His angels to ble~ss you_**

Instead of the cold edge of mocking and bitterness the prisoners could feel something else in the voices that they had damned. Something they would have never believe if not first hand. Worry. Compassion. These were the people who had supported them, had looked up to them and loved them. Yet they had betrayed and in the process sold lives they had no right to take. So why did they look so worried for them? Why did it looked like... They care?

With a flourish of his hands the child waved the encircling souls away as he stepped forward and continued his song. A high voice ringing out, cutting down slowly the iron walls of selfishness and greed that had built up in these criminals hearts.

_I ask for nothing_  
><em>I can get by<em>  
><em>But I know so many<em>  
><em>Less lucky than I<em>

A feeling was stirring in these hardened hearts. One that they had pushed away, ignored and locked in a box covered with metaphorical chains. Yet after seeing again the souls who they had taken and hearing such heart-touching words that seemed to connect deeply with them the feeling was stirring. Guilt.

_God help the outcasts_  
><em>The poor and downtrod<em>  
><em>I thought we all were<em>  
><em>Children of God<em>

Unconsciously tears began to fall from their eyes as one by one they began to break the wall they willingly build up to blind themselves.

_I dont know if there's a reason_

This strange little orange Vindice was different. He looked at each of them not as a criminal, not even as the heirs or high ranking powerful mafioso but as who they are. Imperfect. Flawed. Human.

The small guard didn't seem to care about it, in fact he almost seemed understanding like he too has experienced his own sense of loneliness, of isolation, of confusion.

_Why some are blessed some not_  
><em>Why the few you seem to favour<em>  
><em>They fear us, flee us, try not to se~e us,<em>

The words the child Vindice sang clear and pure struck each of the prisoners deep inside them. It too echoed deeply in Tsuna too as his own memories of being neglected by his own family welled inside him. Still he continued to sing his heart out.

_God help the outcasts_  
><em>The tattered the torn<em>  
><em>Seeking an answer to why they were born<em>

At first the boy sang for vindictive pleasure, to silence the arrogant, rude prisoners who carelessly sin yet as he continued he almost felt a bond, an understanding between them. It was small and weak much like him but Tsuna was sure that slowly the men would reform and change for the better.

_Winds of misfortune_  
><em>Have blown them about<em>  
><em>You made the outcasts<em>  
><em>Dont cast them out.<em>

Each prisoner woke up today expecting the usual dark, gloomy, stoic, intimidating black-clad guard to come feed them the same crap food, torture a few that were misbehaving and maybe make a haughty statement or two. Not this. They weren't expecting a timid, admittedly adorable three-year old jailer dressed in bright orange and pure white as he sang so entrancingly that spirits of the dead had come to listen. They weren't expecting to be moved to the point of tears and to feel strangely close to the tiny jailer despite not even knowing the kid for a day. They weren't expecting these emotions that had been suppressed for so goddamn long to just break through the wall they had so carefully built around their hearts.

_The poor and unlucky_  
><em>The weak and the odd<em>

It had been confusing and frankly a little terrifying the sway and charm the little one had on people like them. Wild lone wolves that held more scars in the years of living in the darkness- both physical and psychological. To create a small spark, a tiny one that most wouldn't notice but they did. A spark of change. Of promise. And they as one felt the need to protect that spark. To feed it and watch it grow. Till that small spark became a huge bonfire. And this little orange guard will be there each step of the way.

_I thought we all were_

_The children of Go~d._

* * *

><p>"TSUUUNAAA!~~"<p>

"COME OUT TSUNA GAME OVER!"

"You won! Now please for the love of God come out!"

"Goddamnit where is he?!"

"How in the freaking hell did you lose the kid in our own freaking prison?!"

"Shut it Jack!" The no longer composed Alejandro hissed as they sprinted through the winding halls. "If I don't recall weren't _you_ the one who lost him the last time and for three weeks the water was pink after that?!"

"Why you-"

"Oi this is no time to fight! Tsuna could be anywhere if he came across a secret door and if Bermuda finds out we lost him..." Ario trailed off the silence speaking louder than words as all of the searching jailer's within earshot shuddered violently, not even bothering to hide it. That's how scary a protective Night Arcobaleno's wrath was.

"Thank god Bermuda and Jäger have gone to check on the tenth floor prison area."

* * *

><p>For once Bermuda and Jäger were at a loss for words. Like <em>really<em> at a loss. The scene was just... So _unexpected_ was definitely a word for it. The floor reserved for valued individual offenders in familigias was filled with sobbing grown law breakers who were all thanking and asking for forgiveness to a very familiar orange and white clad child.

_Their_ child.

Holy _shit_ was someone going to _die_.

**"Tsuna what are you doing here?"** Bermuda boomed intimidatingly making all the men flinch and cease talking and sobbing. Tsuna just perked up as he recognized the voice, turning around to face the duo he gave a huge dazzling smile as his now caramel brown eyes shone with joy. "Boss!, Jäger-san!" He yelped in excitement as he rushed to the two, making sure to not refer the Arcobaleno's name in order to not compromise the other's identity.

Though still a little blindsided by the strange almost surreal sight the founders of Vendicare still managed to reciprocate the adorable child's hug. **"Tsuna what are you doing here?"** The smallest of the trio repeated, this time in a gentler tone. The brunette tilted his head cutely as he thought about the question. Then he giggled cheerily as he waved his hands around in an excited frenzy. "I was playing hide n' sweek! And I got really good at seeking then it was my turn to hide but I didn't know where to go so I hid in the wardrobe and I found a notch which dropped me here!" The child babbled almost incoherently. Luckily the two jailers had experience in interpreting the hysterical and the over emotional. Nodding stoically at the bubbly Orange Vindice they still had another question on the edge of their tongues. "So.." Jäger began a little uncertain how to put this subtl-oh hell with it. He'll ask the way he usually does. Bluntly and reveling in other's misery. "Why are our prisoners crying and practically groveling at your feet?"

Said prisoners turned red in humilation and indignation as they stuttered out excuses and swore with a vocabulary a pirate would die for. While the reaction satisfied the rather sadistically vindictive bosses the use of expletives in front of their dear pure Tsuna did not. If the sudden temperature drop didn't shut them up, the dark aura and the sudden chill of their instincts telling them to run definitely did. The boy however remained completely oblivious as his own intuition didn't warn him of any sign of danger. Which was right. There was no danger to _him_. But a lot of criminals and jailers (Alejandro and co failed to suppress a shiver) were not going to be so blessed.

Maybe it was a crazy idea spurned on by the need to live. Maybe it was a stroke of genius which was formed after noting how loved the orange and white guard seemed to be. Maybe it was a naturally rebellious attitude and need for sass. Maybe it was a bit of both. But either way it ended with one prisoner (clearly lacking in morals and pride) opening his big mouth. "Tsu-sama the other guards are being mean!"

Jäger and Bermuda stopped producing a suffocatingly scary aura to now stare in a mix of aghast and bewilderment at the other, not that it could be noticed by those chained up amateurs. Did- did that man just _tell_ on them?! For the second time that day they were rendered speechless and the two must say they did not welcome the experience at all.

Tsuna looked up at the two most powerful Vindice with eyes of a keen observer, it was possibly the first time other than the time when he first appeared in Vendicare did the two look so blindsided. It was very funny- not that he was going to voice his opinion to the very prideful Vindice bosses. Finally Bermuda quickly gathered his bearings and resumed the role of intimidation personified. **"Tsuna. We are leaving."**

Then the child just had to say something to blindside them again. With twinkling caramel eyes and a smile that you just couldn't say no to Tsuna asked.

"Can I keep them?"

Inwardly Bermuda groaned whilst Jäger snickered a little at the dilemma. Figures. The first time the child asks for anything for himself and he wants a prison full the mafia's worst. Why couldn't the boy have asked for a puppy or even one of those weird technologically advanced games that kids nowadays are into? _Nooo_ it had to be a group of grown scarred men with seriously shady pasts.** "Child you do realize what you're actually asking right?"**

"Yes"

**"They are not good people."**

"I know that."

**"No matter what you do it'll never change their history."**

"But maybe I can change their future."

The Night Arcobaleno looked down to see determined eyes flashing a vibrant orange as it filled with determined resolve. He knew deep inside that if anyone can change these people it would be Tsuna, he had faith. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to let the boy take care of them- he was still too young and innocent!

**"You would have to feed them."**

"Okay."

**"Make sure they have a few hours out of bars so they can stretch their limbs."**

"Yup."

**"Prevent anyone from murdering well... Everyone."**

"I'll try my best."

**"You have to provide necessary torture and other such actions to keep them in their place."**

"I'll get Gia-san to teach me."

Both looked at each other tensely as neither backed down. When Jäger stopped snickering his ass off he too joined the glaring competition, suddenly there was a very real possibility the three year old would obtain a whole prison level at that was not funny in the slightest. The criminals behind bars all craned their necks and held their breaths watching the exchange and silently cheering the small orange and white Vindice. Tsuna could feel himself losing as both Bermuda and Jäger's intense gaze chipped away his own. Two against one wasn't fair! Internally the brunette pouted. Then he gave a sly grin as he decided to pull his secret weapon. He could already feel their gazes wavering as he looked up with the most adorable diabetes inducing puppy dog eyes as well as combined with a small shy yet dazzling smile. "Pwease?"

* * *

><p>Shit. The child knew very well where their buttons were and he knew how to hit all the right ones. <em>Hard<em>. Finally the strongest jailers in the world had to look away at the sheer purity and raw cuteness of it all. Defeated they decided to reach a compromise. **"Fine. You may be granted access to the tenth floor prisoners as well as have the authority to be in charge. However you must be accompanied by at least one of the usual five strongest guards or myself until we believe your old enough to go by yourself."**

Tsuna tried to contain his excitement. It was really hard for him to maintain a business like poker face and his wide expressive eyes betrayed him as they sparkled in happiness. Luckily he maintained a very businesslike tone well as business like as a three year old can muster. "I accept these terms. But I want to be able to feed them my self."

Jäger with an amused minuscule quirk of his lips barely seen for anyone not the two smaller cloaked males promptly agreed much to Bermuda's annoyance. "Deal."

Unable to suppress the childish glee anymore Tsuna squealed in happiness as he hugged the Strongest Vindice Warrior's knee and gestured the Arcobaleno to come down to give a chaste peck on his chubby cheeks in which Bermuda promptly and uncharacteristically exploded in a pink blush. _Ooooh_ Jäger was never going to let his master live that down. He really wished he brought his camera. Actually he needed to get one of the younger guards to teach him how to use it. Maybe Jack or Small Gia.

With a cheery wave the child Vindice finally bid a temporary goodbye to the mafiosos and now new charges who in turn stiffly (and slightly blushingly) waved back.

* * *

><p>Tsuna couldn't wait to tell everyone about his new acquisition! Now it was like he was actually one of the Vindice- duties and all. Though he knew he was and forever be accepted as part of their family the brunette always felt some need, some insecurity inside him that made him feel so useless. Even if this was a little thing Tsuna really felt like he belonged. Not to mention now when all the guards are busy he doesn't have to feel so alone in these empty grey walls if he visits the prison. Plus it's an added bonus that now he can practice his new combination flame on some test subjects (after all he didn't want any horrible side effects due to a lack of real world application), they did say he had to dish out some sort of punishment after all and while Tsuna wasn't one for violence, if it both impresses and helps his family he is willing to do whatever it takes.<p>

* * *

><p>Once the two Vindice bosses were alone Bermuda couldn't help but vent his absolute frustration on a poor wall and a few rather expensive pieces of furniture that had the unfortunate luck of being placed near the Arcobaleno's vicinity. <strong>"Shit! Shitshitshit!"<strong> The smaller male swore as he uncharacteristically lost his temper. He should have refused the child, said no, given a better alternative. It was too _soon_. Too damn _soon_. Yes it appeared the prisoners would not harmed the child. The boy probably charmed them much like he had the Vindice, really those mafiosos held no chance against that smile. But while Tsuna would be a good no a great influence on them, it couldn't be said the same vice versa.

Jäger watched his boss and master destroy everything around him, he wasn't going to stop it for he too felt the same frustrations build up. It really was for the best. He knew that then and he knows it now. The brunette was at a delicate age where he needed constant companionship, something that while it physically pained them to admit they couldn't give. Taking care of something- even those human scum who had broken even the underworld's laws- would ease the pain and damage. Wouldn't it? The strongest Vindice warrior had seen his fair share of damaged people, he knew well enough that the men in those white cages found a savior in the child, however that happened and will probably never intend to harm the child if they could. Yet. It felt _wrong_. The less logical part of their minds, their emotions, their instincts were kicking and snarling. All they could hear in their heads were possessive screams of _**"MINE"**_ ringing ferociously in their heads.

They didn't want to share Tsuna as childish and selfish as that sounded. Tsuna was theirs.

Their little gem, their little light in the darkness.

Their little Sky.

And as much as they know that one day they'll have to let go of their little Sky, they weren't going to let him out in the big wide world just yet.

Not yet.

* * *

><p>The news had spread on what had happened during their beloved child's disappearance. And what came of it. In front of Tsuna they gave small supporting smiles and words of advice to help when 'training' his new imprisoned charges but behind closed doors they too shared the same (though varying in intensity) reaction as their bosses. 'It was for the best.' They repeated again and again in their minds like a broken tape recorder. The boy would have a taste of his inevitable future in a controlled environment. As much as they all hated it they knew that even if they pushed his bloodline aside by simply associating with them Tsuna was destined for the mafia world. And Tsuna was far too kind, too naive to survive in such a dark, cold, bloody world. In order to keep the flame alive in such a place they had to dim it for it to blend in. And it ate at them slowly knowing it was them who had to do such a cruel thing. They didn't have to do it. And that guilt hurt more than any physical pain. But they were human too. Selfish, greedy creatures.<p>

* * *

><p>"Bermuda..?" The soft creaking of the door revealed a fluffy bush of hazel brown hair and sleepy half-lidded caramel brown eyes. The Vindice boss always being a light sleeper immediately woke at the call of the brunette.<p>

"Mn.. Yes Tsuna?" It really did feel strange for him to not use his boss voice, almost vulnerable but it was only he and the child and that alone was enough to relax. Though despite that he still wasn't ready to reveal his true face underneath the bandages. Only Jäger and Alejandro have seen his face since they were both Arcobaleno of the same generation but even now he refused to show anyone. Thank god tonight held no moon so his features were hidden beneath the shadows.

"I-" Honey brown orbs flickered hesitantly but continued nonetheless. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

The question did surprise the holder of Night flames. Ever since the child's birthday they had have sleepovers ('Not sleepovers.' The boss of the most feared powerful group of enforcers known to man corrected. 'Manly shared hibernation bonding nights.' The Vindice boss don't do sleepovers.) which admittedly (not out loud obviously- he did have a reputation after all) he did look forward to and enjoy. However none of the requested times for these manly hiber- oh to hell with it- sleepovers occurred in one in the morning. But Bermuda always had time for Tsuna and so he readily if not groggily welcomed the child to his quarters.

As warm arms encased the tiny cursed figure, the smaller male couldn't help but stroke the soft fluffy hair of his beloved brunette. "Is something wrong child?" The feeling of the larger body stiffening at the question was really all the evidence he needed. "Well… What if I can't take care of the guys properly? I-I don't want to disappoint…"

He couldn't help but let out a throaty deep chuckle much like his original voice. "Child is that all?" Even in the shadows of the darkness could the smaller figure see the other's pout and once again he laughed lightly at the cuteness. Snuggling closer to the child, chubby cheek touching chubby cheek in a sign of awkward affection the Bermuda continued. "You will never disappoint us Tsuna."

"..Really?"

"Really Child."

"So do you think I'm up to the task of taking care of those prisoners?"

The arcobaleno paused. Here he had another chance to tell the boy to wait. To give a little more time, to keep the child innocent a little bit longer, in his protective embrace a little more. But while these selfish, possessive thoughts rolled in his mind the more noble part of him, the part that stood for what was right began to make itself known. Tsuna had to have independence more than ever. He could feel in his flames the time for revenge would be coming close and one day they would have to leave the boy, hurt the boy. At least they could leave him with a network of people who could protect him in their stead, another guardian, another family. This was the perfect opportunity, the tenth floor held heirs of large mafiaso familigias and powerful individuals who at this moment seemed to revere the boy. Tsuna was an enigmatic child, while he isn't aware of it now the brunette had the potential that could make men move mountains with a simple wave of his hand, to make the most stubborn twist under his thumb. And Bermuda knew that.

But still. Still Tsuna was_ theirs_. If it was a perfect world he would keep the little boy locked from the cruelness of the outside, away from the negligence of his family, the hurt, the bloodshed. Big honey brown eyes would never see, never know the pain of suffering and betrayal like they had experienced. He wouldn't have to make painful decisions that could haunt him forever. He wouldn't hav-

"I would stake my Vindice Pride on it Tsuna."

The holder of the Clear Pacifier smiled a soft, faint smile as he saw the faint vibrant orange glow of happiness and resolve in those eyes. Was he still worried, possessively crying internally and wishing for all the things from before? Yes. But if he kept the brunette like that it would be like keeping a doll. Tsuna would have been _alive_ but he wouldn't be _living_.

The Vindice boss could feel the other's breathing slowly even out as comfortable silence settled over the two. Quietly they lay together, snuggled and warm. Without even thinking about it Bermuda began murmuring a song. Maybe it was to soothe himself or maybe it was an announcement of resolve but he meant every word that escaped from his lips.

_There'll be battles_  
><em>And they may be too big to handle<em>  
><em>But while there's still strength in these bones<em>  
><em>Youll never fight them alone<em>

_When your little heart breaks_  
><em>Know that we feel each and every ache<em>  
><em>Before you, I never did know<em>  
><em>Just how deep my love could go<em>

His voice trailed off slowly. Placing a small chaste kiss on the brunette's forehead the Night flame user looked up into the darkness. While he didn't believe in wishes he couldn't help but ask whatever godly entity for just a small thing.

* * *

><p>Let the Night keep the beautiful, accepting Little Sky a secret. Just a little longer.<p>

Or. If if you couldn't do that much. At least let the Night stay by the Little Sky's side.

For as long as it can possibly can.

* * *

><p><strong>Songs are God help the outcasts from the disney movie Hunchback of Notre Dame and Big Bad World by Guy Sebastian<strong>

**Did you like this? Really hope so~~**


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